A security breach or a data breach? What’s the difference? The terms seem more or less interchangeable. In fact, they aren’t the same, and knowing the differences could be crucial for your business security. Let’s look at what those differences are.
Security Breach Defined
When an unauthorized entity gains access to company-owned accounts, that’s a security breach. It could be a person or a machine, but the key point is that they don’t have permission. The breach could include access to a specific device, the server and/or network, a company website or anything else that’s part of the IT system.
Data Breach Defined
A data breach is a kind of security breach, but of a specific kind. This refers to a scenario in which a person or machine gains access to data, such as documents or other computer files. Sometimes the data contained in these files is altered or destroyed.
Appreciate the Distinction
Why does the distinction matter? After all, we’re still talking about security breaches. Here’s why: because they’re relevant to the laws and industry regulations about data protection. These deal with data breaches specifically, not security breaches in general. Regulators can issue large fines for data breaches, but not all security breaches are punishable in this way.
Let’s say someone (or something) without authorization gets into your IT system. Encrypted data you have stored is stolen. Is this a security breach? Or is it a data breach?
JSome types of security breach won’t necessarily land you in trouble with regulatory bodies – but that doesn’t mean you can focus narrowly on avoiding data breaches. All security breaches are potentially lethal and all possible efforts should be made to avoid them.
Best Practices
We recommend including strong firewalls and antivirus programmes that work proactively, in your technology strategy. These need to be managed and maintained, with regular patch and update implementation. It doesn’t end there though. You’ll also need to implement good security training, and insist on the use of complex passwords and/or multi-factor authentication. These measures will protect you against most cyberthreats.
At Quikteks we understand how complex today’s computing challenges can be. For more information on the many ways we can help you protect your business, call us at 973882-4644.