Technology in an organization represents opportunities and competitive advantages through innovation and productivity. However, the risks of cyberattacks that compromise important business or customer information should not be ignored.

On this topic, the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky reported more than 1.300 billion malware attacks (malicious software) during 2019. This is not limited only to attacks against computers: the company reported six mobile malware attack attempts per minute in Latin America, mostly in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Peru.
However, there are several ways to prevent risk and protect sensitive company and customer data.

Security software must be kept up to date

For Fabio Assolini, senior security analyst at Kaspersky, one of the main risks is having outdated software. In the region, Java tops the list of outdated software, partly because there are specific solutions that stop working with the latest updates. It is also possible that, when updating, the program does not automatically delete the previous version, making the computer continue to be vulnerable.

Considering privacy prior to any data processing is key
Organizations work with data all the time. That is why it is important to include its protection within the organizational culture, carrying out prior analyses. One of the most important concepts is “privacy by design and by default,” which states that data must be protected from the first moment it enters the organization, treating it with the greatest possible protection from the privacy perspective, for example, replacing personal identification data or encoding it so that only authorized persons can read it.

All data has its life cycle

Not all data should be kept forever, and a plan is needed to know how long it should be stored, how to delete it, and which data should be protected as a priority. The latter should also be stored under a backup system (preferably in the cloud) to avoid the risk of losing important information.

It is very important to keep in mind that the only way to protect your company's data is not only to prevent unauthorized persons from accessing it, but it is also essential to keep the information necessary for the normal operation of the business well stored. For this reason, it is necessary to create a cloud backup system.

Regulation and international standards cannot be ignored

It is necessary to adopt management systems according to international standards in information security, such as ISO 27001, which involves constant monitoring to maintain accreditation. If the company handles high-impact data, it is best to consult directly with the control authority.

You need to be well informed in order to identify what type of standards the business must comply with according to the type of data it handles.

Technology providers must have confirmed warranty

If any third party is providing data management tools, they must ensure data security and have reliable data handling policies.