How Encryption Prevents Data Breaches

Data breaches remain a problem in 2021, and the cost of recovering from one is rising every year. Research has shown that on average, the cost of a data breach went up by 10% in 2021, now reaching $4.24 million.¹ Therefore, the effort to prevent and respond to cyber security threats is even more critical. Among the most important tools to use, encryption prevents data breaches.

How Does Encryption Prevent Data Breaches?

Encryption is intended to foil cyber criminals when they try to steal your data. It is the process of converting plain text into an unreadable format. For example, if you send an email, the text in the email is encrypted, but when the recipient receives the email, the encrypted text is changed back into plain text.

A hacker who steals communications from your network can’t read your private information. The most effective encryption systems also store data in an encrypted format. If a hacker does breach your systems, they can’t gain access to confidential information when it’s encrypted.

Why Is Encryption Important?

Cyber attacks are causing companies of all sizes to consider increasing their cyber security measures. Even small businesses are vulnerable. In fact, almost half of cyber attacks are against small businesses. The reason is that small businesses are known for having poor cyber security protection. Businesses of all sizes need to be proactive, not reactive when it comes to cyber security.

Today’s remote and hybrid workforce models are here to stay. While those models make sense for the businesses of today, even a hybrid work model increases the risk of cyber attacks. When employees are working remotely, your business has more equipment accessing your systems, making it more difficult to spot and stop cyber attacks.

Employees often have one device for both their personal use and their work. It’s virtually impossible to ensure the security of all the apps being used on that device. As a result, your systems can easily be exposed to any number of attack points.

Another issue is that employees play a big role in protecting your systems. Employees need to know that just clicking on a link in an email could give cyber criminals the access they’re seeking. Employees need to be trained on cyber security to help them understand how to analyze the risk associated with activities they perform on their devices.

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What Are the Benefits of Encryption to Prevent Data Breaches?

When you use encryption properly, you’ll see several benefits.

• You’ll protect your company’s privacy. Even if a hacker succeeds in breaching your systems, your data is safe.
• You’ll protect your employees. When confidential employee information is stolen, it leaves them vulnerable to harassment and identity theft.
• You’ll protect your reputation. Companies that have been victims of successful data breaches lose the confidence of their customers and associates.

How Effective Is Your Encryption?

You need to know how effectively you’re using encryption and how safe your systems are overall. A cyber security risk assessment is an excellent way to take a step toward smarter and more strategic IT planning. Access One will be glad to provide you with a free assessment to identify where you are vulnerable and to determine what you need to do to address those vulnerabilities. 

We also offer security as a service, which includes remotely monitoring and managing your IT security. For more information, contact us today.