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Top 10 Data Security Issues in Large Enterprises

by Alex Hooper, CTO, Cisilion

Data breaches and other cyber security issues have made the headlines in recent years and
enterprises must take precautions, because such problems can be incredibly costly. Indeed, a
recent report from IBM estimated the average cost of an enterprise data breach to be in the
region of $3.5 million.

Of course, in addition to the pure financial cost, issues with security can undermine public
confidence and have long-term consequences. Here, we look at the top 10 data security issues
that impact large enterprises.

1. Personal Mobile Usage

Research from BT shows that 68 percent of organisations have experienced a mobile security
breach in the past year and smartphones present a particular risk, as users demand access to
company networks, while simultaneously expecting privacy and freedom to use their devices as
they like. Downloaded apps could be infected with Malware, offering a threat to network
security, while misplaced or stolen devices could allow sensitive data to leak.

2. File-Sharing

Modern file-sharing technology is essential for many enterprises, but it presents its own risks.
Apps like Google Drive and Dropbox present the very real possibility of data being shared
beyond those who are authorised to access it. For instance, 33 percent of all employees admit
to uploading sensitive data to a cloud-based storage system, according to Skyhigh Networks,
while Hubspot report that 23 percent of documents are shared publicly; possibly by accident.
The recent hacking of Dropbox involving over 68 million personal records has certainly acted as
a wake up call for any businesses that are aware of their staff sharing some data on public
cloud sharing sites.

3. Third Party Providers

An overlooked threat is connected to third party providers, who are often given remote access to
the networks of large businesses. However, many third parties use the same login credentials to
access multiple different clients. If those credentials are compromised, the hacker potentially
has instant access to all of those clients' data.

4. Unpatched Software

It is interesting to note that many security breaches are completely preventable, because they

83 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine October 2016 Edition
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