If there’s one thing that businesses today can be certain about, it is that corporate data security cannot be taken lightly. This is also the reason why data security tools are gaining traction in the corporate world. Data is not merely a collection of information that helps businesses identify problems anymore. It is an enterprise’s most valuable asset that helps in predicting trends, analyzing performance, identifying pitfalls and opportunities, and much more. Unfortunately, this is the very reason why cyber threats against corporate data have increased exponentially.
It is critical for businesses to reinforce their preventive security measures to survive an environment that is brimming with cyber threats, as well as fierce competition. In this article, we will highlight some of the best types of data security solutions that every business must implement to strengthen their corporate security posture.
Data Security & The Current Threat Landscape
Reports suggest that the current cost of data breaches is at an all-time high and had increased 2.6% from USD 4.24 million in 2021 to USD 4.35 million in 2022. With cloud cost management tools, the cost of the cloud can be optimized, but in the current landscape, the cost of a data breach is expensive.
However, not all data breaches can be attributed to external cyber-attacks. Employee unawareness and carelessness are the major factors contributing to insider data breaches. Another report suggests that 82% of the data breaches involved a human element, including social attacks, manual errors and misuse.
With blurring boundaries between traditional office spaces and remote locations, businesses are exploring the work from anywhere model for various reasons ranging from improved employee productivity to reduced capital expenditures which are giving rise to trends such as BYOD management, hybrid working and remote access.
Most businesses worldwide are experiencing immense benefits from enterprise mobility, but with it, their corporate security structure is growing vulnerable to diverse threats. Securing your corporate data against external threats and insider threats, as well as enabling your employees to flexibly work from anywhere in the world, is a great challenge. This is where data security software proves extremely valuable.
5 Kinds of Data Security Tools That You Must Not Miss
We have listed a few must-have data security tools that can help your business secure your sensitive data from prying eyes without overwhelming your IT staff.
1. Firewalls
Business networks experience a constant inflow of incoming and outgoing traffic as employees try to access these networks several times a day from multiple locations. Firewalls act as a great first line of defense as they monitor the traffic. They are easy to implement and offer good resistance against external cyber threats trying to break into your networks. Businesses must implement a third-generation firewall that not only monitors their network traffic but also detects and blocks sophisticated cyber attacks using in-line deep packet inspection.
2. Email Security
Despite high-end and superfast communication tools, most of business-critical information exchange happens over emails. Sadly, emails are also the number one threat vector for cyber attacks. Most businesses deploy various browser and email security policies using device and endpoint management solutions. But none of these policies are effective unless employees successfully enroll their devices with the company’s MDM platform.
Conditional email access is an email security strategy that is provided by sophisticated MDM solutions. It helps businesses prevent unauthorized access to their employees’ corporate email inboxes. This is a powerful implementation since it allows your IT admins to define a specific action, such as entering an authentication or mandating the enrollment of employees’ devices with the company’s MDM solution, without which no user would gain access to their corporate mailboxes. It adds a strong layer of protection for your sensitive corporate data.
3. Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Data loss prevention systems help businesses secure their data against unwanted copying or deletion. It helps monitor the use of data, as well as detect any suspicious activities to prevent the leakage of confidential business information. Modern-day DLP systems help businesses tackle threats on multiple levels, including network data, device data, as well as cloud data.
4. Data Encryption
Data encryption tools offer advanced protection to prevent misuse of business data, even if it gets accidentally or intentionally leaked. These tools encrypt business information in a coded format which can be decoded only by authorized persons after entering the preset security key. This proves beneficial in events where corporate devices have been compromised due to theft or hacking.
5. Access Control
The best way to curb insider security threats, as well as external unwanted entry to your corporate devices and networks, is by restricting access to them. Access control systems allow company IT admins to define who within the organization can access which files and networks. This strategy generally consists of a list of allowed or blocked items. Users are either allowed or blocked access to selective corporate resources. Most systems use user authentications to enable access to corporate data.
Role of MDM Solutions in Data Security
Remote working and enterprise mobility have given rise to trends such as BYOD management, which allows employees to use their personal smartphones and laptops to access corporate documents and networks. As technologies continue to advance, businesses are investing in not only commercial devices but also custom-built devices such as POS systems, ELD systems, kiosks, etc. This means data security is no longer limited to company-owned commercial devices.
Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions ensure effective corporate security because they help company IT admins push extensive security policies and tools on a large number of employee-owned, corporate-owned or custom-built devices. Modern-day MDM solutions are designed to reinforce data security and simplify enterprise mobility. They help businesses to monitor and secure their devices, as well as the data stored on them, regardless of their locations.
Closing Lines
All the above-mentioned tools are a must-have to bolster your corporate data security. However, no matter how many tools and solutions you implement, no security structure can be foolproof unless employees are made aware of the consequences of corporate data loss. Try the above-mentioned security tools for your business in addition to thoroughly educating your employees toward security best practices for near-fail-proof security infrastructure.
