{"id":43451,"date":"2020-08-20T15:46:15","date_gmt":"2020-08-20T11:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/?p=43451"},"modified":"2024-01-08T19:09:40","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T15:09:40","slug":"data-security-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/data-security-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"Ultimate Data Security Checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Today\u2019s breed of criminals doesn\u2019t hang out in dark alleys waiting to snatch your wallet or purse. Rather, they attack through the Internet from the comfort of their rooms, with a much bigger loot in mind. <!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>The State of Data Security<\/h2>\n<p>So big, in fact, that companies globally are now losing an average of $3.92 million per breach. And if that sounds shocking, this will blow your mind: US companies are losing more than double that. A single data breach incident is likely to cost your organization upwards of $8.19 million.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"further-reading \">Further reading<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/data-security-in-the-cloud\/\">Data Security in the Cloud: Best Practices for MSPs and Their Clients<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Well, you could argue that antivirus software providers are responding with better, more sophisticated data protection tools. But, while it\u2019s true that various solutions have been advancing progressively, it turns out cyberattackers are developing their tactics correspondingly.<\/p>\n<p>69% of organizations now fear that antivirus programs are useless against the new types of threats they\u2019ve been seeing.<\/p>\n<p>Then, to make matters worse, it seems cybercriminals are not only getting more aggressive but also attacking more frequently. By 2017, it was proven that hackers were typically <a href=\"https:\/\/eng.umd.edu\/news\/story\/study-hackers-attack-every-39-seconds\">attacking every 39 seconds<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>And just when we thought they\u2019d take a break during the pandemic, they moved their activities up a notch. As workers switched from their offices to home workstations, hackers didn\u2019t hesitate to follow the trail -- so much so that the number of reported cybercrimes subsequently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imcgrupo.com\/covid-19-news-fbi-reports-300-increase-in-reported-cybercrimes\/\">increased by 300%<\/a>, according to the FBI.<\/p>\n<p>Now, in the light of these recent trends, you can be certain you\u2019re a target too. They\u2019ll try hitting your company\u2019s system whether you like it or not. However, the outcome depends on how well you seal all the possible loopholes. To help you with that, here are some of the best data security checklists, which you might want to leverage.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"further-reading \">Further reading<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/cybersecurity-trends-in-2023-everything-you-should-know\/\">Cybersecurity Trends in 2024 \u2014 Everything You Should Know<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"call-to-action\">\n<div class=\"call-to-action__left\" style=\"width: 30%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/wp_pic_preview.png\" alt=\"WP icon\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"call-to-action__right\" style=\"width: 70%;\">\n<div class=\"call-to-action__title\">Work-From-Home Security Essentials<\/div>\n<div class=\"call-to-action__text\">Learn what you can do to enhance your cybersecurity measures and protect remote teams.<\/div>\n<div class=\"call-to-action__text\">\n<!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper hs-cta-deferred\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-c3cc0ee2-7384-4564-bf4b-406af3fdbdd9\" data-portal=\"5442029\" data-id=\"c3cc0ee2-7384-4564-bf4b-406af3fdbdd9\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-c3cc0ee2-7384-4564-bf4b-406af3fdbdd9\" id=\"hs-cta-c3cc0ee2-7384-4564-bf4b-406af3fdbdd9\"><!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/5442029\/c3cc0ee2-7384-4564-bf4b-406af3fdbdd9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-c3cc0ee2-7384-4564-bf4b-406af3fdbdd9\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/5442029\/c3cc0ee2-7384-4564-bf4b-406af3fdbdd9.png\" alt=\"CTA\"><\/a><\/span><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Device Security<\/h2>\n<p>One particular thing you should keep a close eye on is the devices connected to your network. Every single endpoint device is a potential vulnerability that cyberattackers could eventually take advantage of. It just so happens that cybercriminals are particularly fond of capitalizing on the resultant BYOD weak links.<\/p>\n<p>Businesses simply love the BYOD strategy, because it enhances their overall workplace productivity quite substantially. So, you can bet they're not going to drop it anytime soon. And neither should you, especially when you apply the following data security checklist to protect the system:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Encrypt devices.<\/li>\n<li>Delete all information when disposing of devices.<\/li>\n<li>Install\/update applications from and via trusted sources only.<\/li>\n<li>Implement biometric authentication within <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/mfa-for-msps\/\">MFA<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/mobile-device-management-for-msps\/\">Don\u2019t allow applications access to personal data<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Monitor system updates and install them in a good time.<\/li>\n<li>USB devices: separate personal and business devices, and scan for viruses.<\/li>\n<li>Physical security: lock\/turn off devices before leaving, and then lock offices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Email Security<\/h2>\n<p>With over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.radicati.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Email-Statistics-Report-2015-2019-Executive-Summary.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">120 billion business emails<\/a> exchanged every day, this is undeniably one of the main modes of communication across organizations.<\/p>\n<p id=\"last\">Cybercriminals know this, too, and they\u2019ve figured out that most individuals are probably too busy to sort out the bad emails from the legit ones. Therefore, it\u2019s understandable that <a href=\"https:\/\/enterprise.verizon.com\/resources\/reports\/dbir\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">94% of malware attacks<\/a> in 2019 were channeled via email. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/anti-phishing\/\">Phishing<\/a> and unauthorized access are high on the list of common email attacks.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slidebox\"><a class=\"close\">\u00a0<\/a><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper hs-cta-deferred\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-f21d9837-140a-458c-9c82-a96511fd09cb\" data-portal=\"5442029\" data-id=\"f21d9837-140a-458c-9c82-a96511fd09cb\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-f21d9837-140a-458c-9c82-a96511fd09cb\" id=\"hs-cta-f21d9837-140a-458c-9c82-a96511fd09cb\"><!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/5442029\/f21d9837-140a-458c-9c82-a96511fd09cb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-f21d9837-140a-458c-9c82-a96511fd09cb\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/5442029\/f21d9837-140a-458c-9c82-a96511fd09cb.png\" alt=\"CTA\"><\/a><\/span><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><\/div>\n<p>Sadly, though, you can\u2019t really control the flow of email messages from third parties. But, you can implement the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Don\u2019t use personal accounts for work purposes.<\/li>\n<li>Enable spam filtering.<\/li>\n<li>Offer security training on detecting and preventing phishing attempts and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/types-of-malware-attacks-msps-should-protect-clients-from\/\">malware attacks<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Turn off the automatic download of attachments.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t email sensitive data.<\/li>\n<li>Double-check email addresses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"call-to-action\">\n<div class=\"call-to-action__left\">\n<div class=\"call-to-action__tag\">FREE ASSETS<\/div>\n<div class=\"call-to-action__title\">MSP\u2019s Assets to Stay Safe from Phishing<\/div>\n<div class=\"call-to-action__text\">Check out our assets that will help you to minimize the risk of a phishing attack, reduce the possible damage, and increase security awareness.<\/div>\n<!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper hs-cta-deferred\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-a13a0279-a667-42d1-8ecd-608964d3c162\" data-portal=\"5442029\" data-id=\"a13a0279-a667-42d1-8ecd-608964d3c162\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-a13a0279-a667-42d1-8ecd-608964d3c162\" id=\"hs-cta-a13a0279-a667-42d1-8ecd-608964d3c162\"><!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/5442029\/a13a0279-a667-42d1-8ecd-608964d3c162\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-a13a0279-a667-42d1-8ecd-608964d3c162\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/5442029\/a13a0279-a667-42d1-8ecd-608964d3c162.png\" alt=\"CTA\"><\/a><\/span><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"call-to-action__right\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Phishing_CTA-1.png\" alt=\"WP icon\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Internet Access Security<\/h2>\n<p>All in all, the Internet is at the very center of the data security crisis. Although organizations are still victims of physical intrusions, the number of cases is dwarfed by the number of web-based attacks.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re not talking about email attacks alone. Even websites are increasingly used as points of attack. Domain impersonation cases, for instance, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.barracuda.com\/2020\/01\/16\/threat-spotlight-conversation-hijacking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">rose by 400%<\/a> within the first four months of 2020. What\u2019s more, it is said that cybercriminals deploy a new phishing website <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wandera.com\/mobile-threat-landscape\/\">every 20 seconds<\/a>, and 74% of them even come complete with HTTPS compliance.<\/p>\n<p>Despite all these threats, organizations are still scaling up their Internet operations -- so much so that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.logicmonitor.com\/resource\/the-future-of-the-cloud-a-cloud-influencers-survey\/?utm_medium=pr&amp;utm_source=businesswire&amp;utm_campaign=cloudsurvey\">27% of companies<\/a> now believe that they\u2019ll migrate 95% of their critical workloads to the cloud within five years.<\/p>\n<p>That, of course, raises the stakes for all the players. Nevertheless, you could protect your system by taking the following measures:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you use social media, limit admin access.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t use suspicious applications.<\/li>\n<li>Install a malware-detection system.<\/li>\n<li>Set up bandwidth restrictions.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t connect to free Wi-Fi spots.<\/li>\n<li>Routers: select WPA2 Personal setting (WPA Personal) + a strong password.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t allow public access to sensitive data.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t use free services for file sharing.<\/li>\n<li>User authorization: limit the number of failed access attempts.<\/li>\n<li>Use a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/vpn-data-leaks-protection\/\">VPN<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Verify financial transactions before proceeding to the next step.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"call-to-action\">\n<div class=\"call-to-action__left\" style=\"width: 55%;\">\n<div class=\"call-to-action__title\">Remote Access Security Essentials: Checklist and Best Practices [PDF]<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"call-to-action__right\" style=\"width: 45%;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper hs-cta-deferred\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-53cea886-67bd-4601-a8c5-972ec6f9195b\" data-portal=\"5442029\" data-id=\"53cea886-67bd-4601-a8c5-972ec6f9195b\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-53cea886-67bd-4601-a8c5-972ec6f9195b\" id=\"hs-cta-53cea886-67bd-4601-a8c5-972ec6f9195b\"><!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/5442029\/53cea886-67bd-4601-a8c5-972ec6f9195b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-53cea886-67bd-4601-a8c5-972ec6f9195b\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/5442029\/53cea886-67bd-4601-a8c5-972ec6f9195b.png\" alt=\"CTA\"><\/a><\/span><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Software Security<\/h2>\n<p>On the software front, cybercriminals continue to ride on DNS tunneling, SQL injections, denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and phishing, as well as malware.<\/p>\n<p>And with the trend rising, the year 2020 has already seen more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sonicwall.com\/resources\/2020-cyber-threat-report-pdf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">40 million instances<\/a> of web application attacks. Organizations are having a difficult time dealing with cross-site scripting (XSS), broken authentication and session management, SQL injections, etc.<\/p>\n<p>These techniques are typically used to launch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/ransomware-attack-scenarios-and-how-to-be-protected\/\">ransomware attacks<\/a>, which MSPs believe are one of the biggest threats facing small and medium-sized businesses. Four out of five managed services providers surveyed in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.datto.com\/resource-downloads\/Datto2019_StateOfTheChannel_RansomwareReport.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2019 ransomware study<\/a> placed it right at the top of the list of malware threats.<\/p>\n<p>If that worries you, here is a data security checklist for protecting your software environments:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Set up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/windows-patch-management-best-practices\/\">automatic updates<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Install the latest version of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/top-5-antivirus-solutions-for-managed-service-providers\/\">antivirus<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Develop a policy for end-users that specifies the software they can install and keep on their devices.<\/li>\n<li>Monitor and manage access privileges.<\/li>\n<li>Regularly scan for vulnerabilities and bugs.<\/li>\n<li>When installing third-party software, check the license agreement, and monitor compliance.<\/li>\n<li>Disable autorun.<\/li>\n<li>Set up a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/best-backup-schedule-for-small-business\/\">backup schedule<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Make <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/mfa-for-msps\/\">authentication<\/a> mandatory for all users.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"further-reading \">Further reading<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/ransomware-protection\/\">Stay safe from ransomware with MSP360<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Password Security<\/h2>\n<p>As a system infiltration attempt that relies on submitting randomly guessed passwords, a brute-force attack might be dismissed as a low-risk threat, an attack with a comparatively low success rate.<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, though, industry figures prove otherwise. More than <a href=\"https:\/\/enterprise.verizon.com\/resources\/reports\/dbir\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">5% of successful data breach incidents<\/a> come from brute-force attacks. However, it\u2019s not difficult to imagine why, when you take into account the behaviors and tendencies of account holders. Apparently, only <a href=\"https:\/\/keepersecurity.com\/assets\/pdf\/Keeper-2018-Ponemon-Report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">28% of them<\/a> keep their passwords in a secure password manager; 18% reuse passwords; 51% use the same passwords for work and personal accounts; and 69% admit to sharing passwords with colleagues.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"further-reading \">Further reading<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/password-management\/\">Password Management Best Practices<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Then, to crown it all, it turns out that about <a href=\"https:\/\/dataprot.net\/statistics\/password-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">23 million account holders<\/a> naively use the \u201c123456\u201d series for their passwords. That\u2019s in addition to other common passwords such as \u201csunshine\u201d and \u201ciloveyou\u201d. You can even go ahead and attempt to unlock random accounts with such basic passwords. You\u2019ll be surprised by the number of accounts that\u2019ll proceed to log you in.<\/p>\n<p>That said, the best practices here include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Always change the default password.<\/li>\n<li>Choose strong and unique passwords.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t reuse passwords.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t use the same password for different accounts.<\/li>\n<li>Never share credentials or store them at your desk.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"call-to-action\">\n<div class=\"call-to-action__left\" style=\"width: 60%;\">\n<div class=\"call-to-action__title\">MSP's Educational Posters on Password Security<\/div>\n<div class=\"call-to-action__text\">\n<p>The poster pack includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Best practices for creating strong passwords<\/li>\n<li>Reminders on how secure passwords should look like<\/li>\n<li>A chart to check if your password is secure enough<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper hs-cta-deferred\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-88fb277b-8296-40db-9698-b362eb68ccaa\" data-portal=\"5442029\" data-id=\"88fb277b-8296-40db-9698-b362eb68ccaa\"><span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-88fb277b-8296-40db-9698-b362eb68ccaa\" id=\"hs-cta-88fb277b-8296-40db-9698-b362eb68ccaa\"><!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/5442029\/88fb277b-8296-40db-9698-b362eb68ccaa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-88fb277b-8296-40db-9698-b362eb68ccaa\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/5442029\/88fb277b-8296-40db-9698-b362eb68ccaa.png\" alt=\"CTA\"><\/a><\/span><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"call-to-action__right\" style=\"width: 40%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/MSPs-Educational-Posters-on-Password-Security.png\" alt=\"Whitepaper icon\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>The Final Word<\/h2>\n<p>Overall, the field of cybersecurity is quite extensive and fluid. There\u2019s a wide range of vulnerabilities to cover and their parameters are always changing with time.<br \/>\nTherefore, as you proceed to protect your system across multiple layers using this data security checklist, remember to review and update your security systems from time to time. Most importantly, though, take no chances when it comes to data security. You\u2019ll be saving your organization millions of dollars in possible losses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today\u2019s breed of criminals doesn\u2019t hang out in dark alleys waiting to snatch your wallet or purse. Rather, they attack through the Internet from the comfort of their rooms, with a much bigger loot in mind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":43456,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[877,884],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-articles","category-msp-business-articles"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43451"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43451\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57355,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43451\/revisions\/57355"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}