How To Prevent Threats From Slipping Through the Big Data Cracks

<p>When it comes to data breaches, the risk for organizations is high – from the easily calculable costs of notification and business loss to the less tangible effects on a company's brand and customer loyalty. In recent years, many businesses have been increasing their budget allocations for security – which is rightfully so due to the <a href="https://www.anomali.com/blog/what-the-latest-enterprise-security-trends-mean-for-cyber-security">i<strong>ncreasing cyber threats</strong></a><strong> </strong>that they are faced with. Regardless, identifying every potential threat in the sea of big data can be very difficult.</p><p>So, how can IT departments minimize their risk? To avoid what sometimes amounts to operational paralysis, IT directors should adhere to the following guidelines:</p><p><strong>Look Beyond IT Security When Assessing Your Company’s Data Breach Risks</strong></p><p>To <strong><a href="https://www.anomali.com/blog/the-imitation-game-turings-lessons-applied-to-cybersecurity">eliminate threats throughout the organization</a></strong>, security must reach beyond the IT department. A company must evaluate employee exit strategies in HR, remote project protocol, on-and off-site data storage practices, and more – and then establish and enforce new policies and procedures and physical safeguards appropriate to the findings.</p><p><strong>Educate Employees About Appropriate Handling and Protection of Sensitive Data</strong></p><p>The continuing saga of lost and stolen laptops containing critical information illustrates that corporate policy designed to safeguard portable data only works when employees follow the rules, which are:</p><ul><li>Don’t collect information that you don't need.</li><li>Reduce the number of places where you retain the data.</li><li>Grant employees access to sensitive data on an "as needed" basis, and keep current records of who has access to the data while it is in your company's possession.</li><li>Purge the data responsibly once the need for it has expired.</li></ul><p><strong>Conduct a Periodic Risk Assessment</strong></p><p>Business models and operational processes change and might alter risk levels and liabilities. Determining if you've acquired new areas or levels of risk can be accomplished through both internal audit and specialized external resources.</p><p><strong>Use an Automated Threat Intelligence Platform to Detect and Prioritize Threats</strong></p><p>Security professionals that use a<strong><a href="https://www.anomali.com/products/threatstream"> threat intelligence platform</a></strong> can aggregate data from a central location, apply scores, and share. When this is automated, you can share with a larger audience across industries, which then shortens the window for an attacker and helps you identify the adversary, a threat actor, a campaign, or a cyber attack.</p><p>These key tips will help IT directors and analysts prevent threats from slipping through the cracks. Keep your team educated, prepared, and continue to think outside the box so that you’re always one step ahead of hackers. Lock down your processes and, in turn, your data!</p><p>Want more threat intelligence insight? Check out our free white paper to learn about the intelligent approach!</p>