Data Protection Day is an international awareness day that occurs on the 28th of January. It aims to create awareness about the importance of respecting privacy, safeguarding data, and enabling trust.
Data protection is a serious issue
Data breaches remain one of the biggest issues for organisations, and breaches are regularly reported in the media. This can result in financial, reputational, and personal losses for businesses and individuals.
Often businesses may not realise for months or even years that they have suffered a breach.
Data breaches can happen in several different ways
Data breaches can occur when information is:
- compromised or stolen
- released by accident
- accessed through vulnerabilities found in computer systems
Prevention is better than cure
Data protection needs to be an everyday focus.
- Businesses should only collect information that is actually required, and be conscious of how this is stored.
- Develop a response plan for dealing with a data breach.
- Consider implementing the CERT NZ critical controls. CERT NZ has released critical control recommendations to help businesses protect against cyber attacks.
What can you do if you are affected by a data breach?
CERT NZ lists some useful steps on what what to do when dealing with a data breach.
- Disconnect the compromised system from the internet, but don’t turn it off.
- Reset the passwords for any compromised accounts.
- Be open and transparent with customers.
More information is available here.
If you suspect you have suffered a breach, but you are not sure where to start, our security consultants can help. We assist with triaging issues, identifying root causes, and guidance on remediation. Contact us at sales@sss.co.nz or 04 917 6670 for further information.
