How to Respond to a Data Breach
Data Breach occurs when sensitive information is exposed to someone who does not have authorization to access it. It can be an accidental event or the result of hackers looking to steal and sell personal or corporate data.
Data breaches are costly to businesses and can damage a company’s reputation. It is important to have a plan in place to respond quickly and minimize the impact.
When a breach happens, the first step is to determine how many people were affected. This will help you determine if you need to notify those individuals or the government. Check with your legal department to find out the rules in your area.
Once you know how many people were involved, work with forensics experts to analyze what was compromised. Look for backup or preserved data and review logs to find out who had access at the time of the breach. Determine whether this access is necessary and restrict access if not.
Attackers can gain access to a company’s network through phishing, password cracking, or malware. Once they have entry, attackers can move laterally or up the privilege escalation ladder and compromise more systems to get the data they want. Attackers then resell the data or use it for identity theft.
Hackers may also try to coerce employees into revealing their security credentials. This type of internal attack is known as social engineering and it can be effective in gaining access to sensitive information.