If someone manages to break into your cyber security, it can drastically affect your organisation across the board. Knowing how to respond to a data breach is an absolute must if you want to keep the impact of an incident to an absolute minimum.
However, responding to a data breach isn’t as simple as flipping a switch or turning security measures on and off again; it takes time, hard work, and the know-how to ensure robust response measures can occur.
Today, we’ll go through everything you need to know about data breaches: what they are, how they affect your organisation, and what you can do to ensure efficient remediation if one occurs.
What is a data breach?
Before diving straight into how to respond to a data security incident, we need to know what we’re dealing with – what is a data breach?
A data breach is when cyber criminals or hackers succeed in targeting organisations to gain access to the personal data of their staff and/or clients. The confidential data these thieves steal can vary, from bank account information to healthcare records – all incredibly sensitive information which should be kept private at all times.
The method by which a data breach occurs can also vary. There are many ways a cybercriminal can break into your IT infrastructure, from social engineering attacks to hackers exploiting weak or vulnerable software within your security measures. We’ll dive into these methods further in the blog.
But no matter why or how the data breach occurs, the results will always be the same – severe consequences for everyone involved. This is why a plan of action needs to be in place to ensure damages are mitigated.
How to create a data breach management plan
A data breach management plan is the detailed guidelines your organisation puts in place so you know the exact response needed to take should a data breach occur.
From the roles people in your team are required to carry out to the step-by-step instructions that must take place, a management plan lays it all out so there’s no panic or wandering around in the dark should a breach find its way into your network.
Let’s start off by highlighting a few topline pointers on what you should include:
- A clear understanding of what a data breach is and indicators of how your staff can detect it
- A list of the software and technology you’ll take advantage of to detect or reduce the impact of the breach
- Contact information for both senior management staff, regulatory authorities, investigators and potentially customers and media
Now, let’s break down the specific measures you’ll want to put in place.
Immediate containment and assessment
First, you’ll want to contain the data breach so you can prevent any further personal information and data from becoming compromised.
The containment stage is vital, every second counts! You’ll need to act swiftly to keep everything secure. To make sure no more damage can be done to your IT infrastructure, you should contact a forensic investigator, an expert who works to identify who infiltrated your system, how they managed to break through and what actions they took once the breach occurred.
Internal notification and mobilisation
You need to keep track of the breach details as they occur. Firstly, whoever discovers the breach will need to notify the appropriate managers and internal parties who can help with the crisis. You’ll want to record the date and time the break-in happens, whilst also noting down any noticeable information.
From there, the rest of the internal teams at your organisation can be notified that a breach has occurred and that downtime may need to happen throughout the rest of the work day, whilst also letting them know to be on high alert for any signs of a breach themselves.
With these precautions in place, a security expert can then restrict access to further prevent any more information from being compromised and stop further data leakage.
External notification and reporting
As well as notifying internal teams at your organisation, it’s important to inform any external parties about the breach too. As mentioned above, this can range from clients and customers to regulatory bodies or even the media. It’s crucial that anyone whose data resides on your network is notified.
On top of that, it’s important to note that your organisation must report the data breach to the ICO within 72 hours of discovering it. This covers any type of breach that has had a substantial impact on your user base.
Investigation and root cause analysis
A lot of the time, the cause behind a cyber security breach isn’t immediately clear. A Root Cause Analysis (RCA) helps security teams determine the specific reason why the breach occurred.
RCAs focus on several reasons as to why there was a breach within your organisation, such as performance or implementation issues regarding specific software, or vulnerabilities in your IT infrastructure. This is beneficial as instead of focusing on the effects of the breach, it allows your team to find the genuine cause and ultimately helps to prevent future incidents.
Remediation and recovery
So, you’ve tidied up the chaos and regained some system composure since the initial data breach occurred. But what’s next? How do you recover, and do you have the resources to get your system fully functional?
With a breach remediation plan in place, your organisation reduces the cost, time and stress of a data breach’s impact. To get things up and running quickly once more, your breach remediation plan should underline a set of actions that efficiently address a data breach. This can include actions for what data was compromised, and if it can be recovered or restored, to reviewing all the evidence relating to the breach and if there are any indicators of its initial cause.
Post-breach review and future prevention
A post-incident review gives your organisation a detailed timeline that covers each part of the breach, from start to finish. This allows you to assess all the processes, teams and assets that were impacted by the attack, providing a guideline so it can be avoided in the future.
Post-incident reviews require a lot of cross-communication from everyone affected by the event – from specific individuals to the technologies related to the breach, allowing you to get a full grasp on the root cause and entire scope of the attack.
Types of data breaches
As we mentioned earlier, the way in which a data breach incident can break out varies. Breaches have numerous forms, all using distinct techniques to gain access to your organisation. And, as the digital industry continues to evolve, this number only increases – as should your understanding of how to mitigate them.
So, let’s break down the most recognisable data breaches across the digital landscape, so you know what you’re potentially up against…
Malware attacks
Malware has one goal – wipe out all the data across your organisation for personal gain, such as money or just to cause a wave of annoyance.
Software such as viruses, worms, or ransomware infect your systems and enable hackers to disrupt your IT infrastructure in numerous ways, from stealing data and encrypting files for ransom to disrupting day-to-day operations.
Ransomware
In a nutshell, ransomware holds your data hostage. A specific type of malware, a ransomware attack informs you that all your data is now encrypted, and access to this data is now blocked off…
The only resolution you’ll be given from a cybercriminal is to pay a fee for the data to be given back or withheld from the public. These offers rarely come to fruition.
In most cases, organisations will incorporate risk management solutions into their infrastructure to avoid the release or deletion of data.
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)
A distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS) is when an attack is launched from multiple places at once.
With a DDoS attack, hackers will remove the ability for teams across your organisation to log on and access systems. Additionally, if the attack leads to large quantities of traffic to your site, customers will also be unable to access your services, which can damage your brand reputation or lose business.
DDoS tends to come from the dark web, with the attacks targeting larger enterprises and are often used as a form of protest.
Phishing and social engineering
Phishing attacks hook you into giving away details by replicating authoritative sites. We’ve all spotted dodgy or questionable emails in our inboxes, but this can also be applied to texts and even entire recreations of websites that look so genuine you may feel inclined to click on them…
If by chance you do log into one of these phishing sites, you’re not logging in to your account, you’re giving hackers access to your password and personal data.
Password guessing
Passwords being stolen may sound clichéd, but the damage this can lead to is nothing to joke about. For example, leaving passwords lying about on notepads may seem harmless, but other employees in the company might not be as rule-abiding as others.
Of course, a common problem with passwords is how weak and guessable they are. Brute-force attacks are an easy win for hackers, as with evolving technology, figuring out a simple combination like “password123” doesn’t take much manpower.
Supply chain incidents
A supply chain incident occurs when attackers compromise a supplier’s – mostly likely external – system, gaining access to the networks of businesses they work with.
Often targeting third-party vendors with weaker security, these breaches can spread malware, steal data, or disrupt operations across the supply chain. Ultimately, this can lead to widespread consequences, such as financial loss, reputational damage, and operational disruptions.
Physical theft
Sometimes, hackers will take the digital out of the crime and instead target real-world locations to cause a breach. Physical security breaches occur when hackers gain access to sensitive areas, such as data centres or workstations, allowing them to compromise IT systems.
These breaches bypass digital defences, making cyber security measures vulnerable. For example, accessing a company’s server room could enable a cyberattack, blending physical and cyber threats into one security risk.
Keystroke logging
Keystroke logging is a breaching technique where malicious hardware records every keystroke a user types on their device. These tools can capture sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, or private messages which hackers can then use to gain unauthorised access to your accounts or systems.
These pesky logging tools are often installed via phishing attacks, malicious downloads, or compromised devices, making them a serious cyber security threat that can lead to identity theft and data breaches.
Data breach impact on business
Did you know, according to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023, the average global cost of a data breach was $4.45 million in 2023, 2.3% higher than in 2022…
A data breach’s impact can be severe, but it’s not just the data that becomes compromised through a breach; it can be financially damaging, too. For example, organisations may face data breach compensation claims, where they must pay fines or settlements to affected customers or stakeholders. This can significantly strain financial resources.
On top of that, operational disruptions, loss of customer trust, and potential regulatory penalties can all become issues you’ll need to deal with if a data breach isn’t closed and secured quickly.
As we said, swift and efficient is the name of the game here, as recovering too late from a breach often involves costly security upgrades and damage control, which can further hinder business growth and stability.
6 steps to take after a data breach
So, it’s safe to say that after a data breach, taking swift and structured steps is crucial to mitigate damage and prevent future incidents.
To really nail in what your business needs to do, we’re underlining the 6 steps you’ll need to follow after a data breach:
- Find and identify the breach
First, pinpoint the breach’s source whilst identifying which systems or data were compromised. This will help in understanding the scope of the breach.
- Gather evidence and analyse the issue
Collect logs, files, and any relevant data that can help assess the attack. Analysing this evidence is crucial to determine how the breach occurred and to prevent the same vulnerabilities from being exploited again.
- Carry out recovery and containment
Isolate your affected systems to prevent the breach from spreading further. Once the breach is contained, you’ll begin the recovery efforts, such as restoring data from backups and patching vulnerabilities.
- Notify anyone affected
Inform any customers, employees, or partners whose data was compromised. Transparency is key, as it builds trust and allows individuals to take personal precautions, such as changing passwords.
- Implement preventive measures
Strengthen security protocols by addressing any weaknesses discovered during the breach analysis. This can include updating software, improving access controls, and enhancing monitoring tools.
- Implement post-incident changes
Conduct a full review of the incident and implement long-term security policies, including employee training, regular audits and vulnerability scans to prevent future breaches.
Prevent disaster with Cyber Security Awareness
CSA is a market-leading, fully managed service here to bolster your organisation’s cyber security posture. But we also take things one step further. We specialise in stopping employees from causing security incidents, educating and ensuring they understand the risks of cyber threats and know exactly how to deal with them.
Our SATT (Security Awareness Training and Testing) provides a treasure trove of tools, such as penetration testing and cyber security training to keep your employees vigilant towards cybercrime.
Don’t leave your door open to cyber criminals, get in touch with our expert team today and prevent your employees and IT infrastructure from being a risk.
