Data breaches seem to be occurring around the world on an almost daily basis and many company executives are pondering their next moves. Increasing data center security, moving to the cloud, or a host of other options are available to help businesses thwart breaches and recover from the fallout if one happens to them.
Don't wait to prepare for a breach and its consequences
A recent CSO report showed that many businesses wait far too long to implement a breach plan. According to the story a number of companies don't even have a breach plan, or think of one, until after they've been breached. In order to keep the data center safe there are a few protocols company executives may wish to consider, said the story.
Protection through biometric technology
With a number of security methods available to business owners and managers the decision on which provides better protection can be a daunting one. Password security is hack and breachable and passwords get stolen, forgotten or lost as do keys and cards. Biometric security utilizes a fingerprint scanning method of protection that is virtually foolproof. By capturing an employee's fingerprints in a stored template, security personnel can maintain access control at the data center site and prevent unauthorized staff or vendors from entering. Companies also should undertake training programs for everyone from the CEO to the maintenance staff. Britt Johnson is a cyber trainer at New Horizons and he explained to Iowa's KCRG-TV 9 that news of all the worldwide breaches is driving consumers to learn more.
"Nationally, any time there is publicity about a security breach of the size and depth of the one recently we have more people taking security classes. And now that the media is picking this up … we've had even more inquiries about security classes," Johnson said.
In the event of a breach, what does a company do?
Scott Angelo, writing for the online publication, CSO, said monitoring programs need to be implemented so unusual behaviors can be tracked and security personnel should be instructed to log as much data as they possibly can. A third step suggested by CSO is know who the criminals trying to access the data center are. By identifying potential areas of attack and from where they will emanate from, a company can better protect their data and safeguard their physical operation. By actively deploying the above suggestions and knowing where the data is and what it contains, said CSO, companies can assure their clients and patrons that all vital and proprietary data is breach-proofed and not out in the ether-sphere being sold on the black market.
A Ponemon Institute survey recently showed that a majority of data center breaches and incursions are initiated by insider action. Sooner or later an incursion or breach will occur in any company. Being proactive now, before a breach happens, will enable management and security to minimize damage and downtime. With a breach plan in place before an incident, employees won't be scurrying around in a panic trying to ascertain what to do next.
Data Breaches can cost upwards of millions of dollars depending on the size, type and length of breach. Using biometric security to protect the data center is a huge step towards preventing unscrupulous elements from accessing private and secured data. Fingerprint scanning is a solid, state-of-the-art technology that can keep a business from having to deal with costly external or internal incursions.
By preventing unauthorized access before a breach takes place, a company manager is being preemptory and possibly saving millions of dollars in clean-up and mitigation costs that follow a breach of even minor magnitude.
Download our whitepaper here to discover how to achieve uniform access control from the front door to the server cabinet.