DATA LEAKAGE:
HOW TO DETECT AND FIX?

Innovations Development Lab
4 min readJun 10, 2020

Today, a lot of companies use a tiered system of information processing — computers, cloud storage, corporate network, etc.

Each of these systems not only transfer data but also can cause a possible leakage. Leakage of classified information is a process of uncontrolled disclosure of key company data.

It is very difficult to reliably detect data loss. There are many services for checking data for signs of leakage. But experts suggest not to use them, arguing that these services also pose certain threats.

You can understand that your personal information leaked in open access with indirect causes. For example, after leaving somewhere certain data, you then get the offer based on it. For example, buying a car, the next day you get a dozen calls from companies offering to obtain insurance, pass a test service, sign up for a free change of rubber. In this case, it is obvious that the source of the leak is an auto shop.

To prevent the leakage of personal data, you need to follow a few simple rules:

  1. Set complex passwords, which are different for each service or website.
  2. Carefully read the conditions of personal data processing.
  3. Do not install unknown applications that require access to the smartphone.
  4. Do not fill in usernames, passwords, while accessing the Internet via an unfamiliar Wi-Fi network. These data is visible to the owner of this network and, accordingly, can be leaked.

How to minimize the risk of leakage of commercial data?

There are several effective ways that will help to reduce the risk of leakage and disclosure of information. The company may use all the methods of protection or only a few of them, because the security system must be economically profitable. The loss of sensitive information can not be less than the cost of implementing and supporting security systems.

Encryption

Encryption is a simple and effective method of protecting commercial secrets. Modern encryption algorithms use global standards in the field of cryptography, bilateral key exchange and elliptic curves to generate protection. The advantages of using encryption in order to prevent the leakage of commercial information are:

  • The ease of use.

The implementation of encryption is provided with special software. The program must be installed on all computers and mobile devices, in which the secret information circulates. All files are encrypted and decrypted automatically in the framework of the corporate network.

  • In case of necessity to send important e-documents outside the commercial network, they will be stored on flash media, cloud storage or email only in encrypted form. Drawback — without the special software the worker will not be able to view the contents of the file.
  • A high degree of reliability.

Using powerful computational algorithms of cryptography, it is difficult to intercept secret messages or traffic of the company for the attacker, and decryption without the knowledge of the public and private key is impossible.

It is worth noting that encryption is not the only way to protect business information from different attacks. Employees are able to read the contents of electronic documents as part of the commercial network, so the risk of unauthorized disclosure to third parties remains. The use of cryptography is an integral part of the functionality of each integrated security system.

Supervision of staff

The staff is the most uncontrolled source of the leak. Security administrators test the ability of information interception via technical channels of leakage, and if all channels are securely protected, suspicion falls on employees.

The employees of the organization are controlled by the accounting systems of working time. This integrated hardware and software tracks the exact arrival time to work, time of leaving, staff activities at the computer, records of correspondence in the corporate mail, conducts surveillance, and transmits all these data to the management company or the head of the security Department. Further, all of the information received is analyzed and one can reveal a number of workers who could spread a trade secret.

The world of technology is constantly evolving, the potential ways to steal information on the network is also developing. Follow these simple rules and your data will be safe.

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