How much security is enough security? When can we be sure that our data is completely secure? Are our devices ever 100% secure? The answer to all of these questions is usually “never”.
Almost every company focuses the majority of its security efforts on its main database. This is the heart of where all their data is stored. All of the data sourced from every department in the company that is collected from each computer or device is ultimately stored in the main database. The norm has thus been to secure this central base with high levels of security. And this is exactly why the security measures are ultimately quite insignificant and fail. Most companies fail to keep secure track of all their devices and systems both in terms of location and security configurations.
When a hacker wants access to the main database, they don’t attack it directly as most assume they would. The points of breach are almost always the weakest links; all the devices connected to the main system. All these devices or gadgets are left exposed in so many different ways that a determined hacker could easily find a point of vulnerability and slowly creep their way into the main system or at least gain access to the data that is on that particular device. So if they gain access to employee devices, they ultimately have access to the data that the company protects only on the main database. A data breach can be very expensive for individuals, companies, and governments alike. A lot of sensitive information could be exposed and lead to huge complications, not just financially.
If you want to secure a device, a lot of security measures have to be taken and even then they would not be enough. You might have set a strong password, anti-ransomware, anti-virus, one-time code generators, and more, but there are still a lot of ways that your data can be breached. If you look at the reports on all the high-profile data breaches in the last couple of years, you will notice a common pattern where cybercriminals targeted the unprotected endpoints first. Studies show that 86% of data breaches are motivated financially so the data can be sold on the dark web or ransom can be collected. Almost 90% of these breaches are through external factors through endpoint devices.
A data breach can occur in many ways. It could be because of employees reading files that they aren’t authorized to or a malicious insider using the data for nefarious purposes. If the device is lost or stolen, the data on it could easily be misused if it is left unencrypted or protected. Hackers could easily use different vectors to attack a device as well. The fact is, an individual employee’s device is an easy access point for cybercriminals. They could fall prey to breaches caused by anything from phishing emails to infected USB drives. This is why companies must start focusing their security on these endpoint devices first.
Some ways of securing devices are:
● Encrypting all the data on the device using software like Ziroh Store. This will prevent the data from being read by cyber criminals even if they can somehow infect the device. This kind of high-grade encryption on individual devices should always be given priority
● Updating devices and software frequently
● Using strong credentials for user authentication. Enforcing strong authentication measures
● Enforcing antivirus and anti-ransomware protection on all devices
Endpoint security needs to become a high-priority factor in cybersecurity. If the individual devices connected to the main system are not secure, then securing the main database will not make much of a difference at all. The smallest vulnerability can leave you open to a data breach.
