Data classification is an important business process. It makes it easier to apply data protection, helps employees understand what data is sensitive, and, importantly, which data can be made public. Unfortunately, many organizations provide employees with access to far more data than is needed. The oversharing of information with employees is a huge security risk.

In today’s digital world, data breaches are becoming more and more common. In fact, recent studies found that a large majority of breaches are caused by stolen secrets & credentials, such as API keys. API keys are used to access data and resources from another application or service. They are typically used to connect two applications so that they can share data. For example, if you use a weather app on your phone, that app likely uses an API key to access the Weather Channel’s data.

Cybersecurity awareness is an increasingly hot topic, especially during this year’s Cyber Security Awareness Month. There are many things individuals and organisations can do to improve their awareness around security, helping to protect data confidentiality. In this blog post, we will discuss some essential tips for securing your data coming to the end of this important month.

Recently, we caught up with Frank Kyazze, Privacy Director here at Kintent, to chat about his experience at the Data Connectors conference in Dallas last month. Frank had the opportunity to serve on the “Protecting Against Cyber Attacks” discussion panel while in attendance. Frank took part in the panel, discussing how now more than ever, it is imperative for organizations to be vigilant against bad actors.

In the early days of internet security, an access-centric security model made sense. Access lists on routers were complemented by firewalls and, later, intrusion detection systems. Given the processing capacity available at the time, this was absolutely adequate and appropriate for protecting a website, even with e-commerce. But that was the 1990s, and the internet has become so much more than websites with some shopping capabilities. Now, it’s the backbone of our society.

With the rapid development in the modern world, data has become the most important asset in any organization. As a result, companies exponentially grow their databases and process them to make various business decisions. However, handling large amounts of data is complex, and organizations must continuously work on data security to reduce the risk.‍ On the other hand, organizations can not depend on any data they collect.

Encryption is an essential means of protecting sensitive information and is required for certain types of data under many regulations. As more companies move to the Cloud and introduce Microsoft 365 (M365) applications like Teams and SharePoint Online to their communication and collaboration channels, the potential for data getting into the wrong hands grows exponentially making encryption strategies essential.

The threat landscape in IT is ever-evolving, with new risks arising practically daily. Trying to anticipate the next type of threat can feel a little like playing whack-a-mole. Instead, IT teams are focusing on vulnerability management: reducing the opportunities for hackers and other bad actors to find a weakness in cyber defenses. Vulnerability management is an iterative process that allows companies to proactively defend valuable assets, no matter how the threat landscape changes.