How to protect data when digitizing a business or creating a website

The cost of a data breach in the U.S. averaged $9.44 million in 2024. For the twelfth year in a row, the U.S. holds the highest cost for data breaches, $5.09 million more than the global average.

Nearly half of all data breaches occur in the cloud, which is particularly concerning as more organizations run business-critical workloads in both public and private cloud environments.

In this article, we’ll look at recent data privacy and cloud security trends and how you can strengthen your cybersecurity defenses in 2024.

Tips for Reducing Data Breach Risks

Creating and promoting websites requires attention to security. It’s crucial to develop a risk management strategy and an incident response plan. A risk management strategy involves continuously identifying, assessing, managing, and monitoring risks. An incident response plan provides instructions for handling data breaches or cyber-attacks.

Regularly update software, operating systems, apps, and firmware. Patch known vulnerabilities. Use network segmentation to limit the spread of malware and restrict attackers' movements within the network. Invest in a reliable data backup solution.

Multi-Factor Authentication Attacks

Cybercriminals are exploiting "multi-factor authentication (MFA) fatigue," as seen in recent breaches at Uber, Microsoft, and Cisco. They repeatedly send login requests to users, causing frustration and leading to accidental approvals.

While two-factor authentication is a good security measure, it's not foolproof. For instance, at WebMedia, we use security keys compatible with the WebAuthn standard, like YubiKey or fingerprint scanners, to significantly reduce phishing risks.

Employee Training

Many companies conduct security awareness training, but it often falls short. For example, low security awareness among employees remains a major challenge for organizations.

Data Backup

SaaS data is increasingly targeted by cyberattacks. Only half of the affected companies can fully recover their data, highlighting the need for a robust SaaS data protection solution. Many companies mistakenly believe cloud-stored data is safe from loss, which is not true.

Incremental backups, which save only data changes, allow for faster and more efficient recovery. For example, for online stores on Shopify, this means restoring deleted product images quickly.

Conclusion

In 2024, creating and promoting corporate websites and full-service website creation and promotion must include cybersecurity. Invest in reliable data protection and backup solutions to safeguard your company against cyber threats.

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