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Getting started with data protection
July 10, 2019 By BlueAlly
The concept of “data protection” refers to the need for important information to be safeguarded from corruption, compromise or loss.
If dealing with the specter of ransomware, DDoS attacks and cryptominers weren’t enough of a headache, since May 25, 2018, you’ve also got to protect your clients’ data and your own business-critical data, too. The impacts of strict data regulations, such as GDPR in the European Union and California’s upcoming California Consumer Privacy Act, will add additional burdens to your IT capacity.
Now, while the cybersecurity marketplace features a number of products tailored for small and medium businesses (SMBs), data protection (although benefiting greatly from tech) really relies on preparedness, discipline and adherence to best practices.
Even with a host of technologies to support SMBs, ESET wanted to provide a comprehensive roadmap to guide them toward compliance with existing and future data protection guidelines.
Why produce a “For Dummies” guide?
The amount of data collected and retained by companies has grown to levels unprecedented 10 years ago. Today, even the smallest businesses collect data about customers and business operations. This makes all companies, large or small, a target for cybercriminals.
In the EU, small and medium-sized enterprises represent 99 percent of all businesses. Globally, this number is 95 percent. According to analyst firm IDC, 70 percent of all cybersecurity breaches involve SMBs.
The cost of a data breach can devastate a business, so hoping that your business is too small or uninteresting for cybercriminals is a poor excuse for not taking steps to secure your data.
A UK insurance company, Zurich, reports that more than 875,000 small and medium-sized enterprises were affected by cyberattacks in 2017, at a cost of more than $13,000 for over a fifth of these businesses, and more than $69,000 for one in 10. And for large enterprises, these numbers rise to millions of dollars.
Threats to SMBs’ data have been growing for some time. Today, new regulations mean that fines can be incurred by not complying with data protection regulations. Reading our free e-book, “Data Protection For Dummies,” may save your business thousands of dollars, or perhaps even save you from going out of business due to a data breach.