Data protection is critical for every industry today as cybersecurity threats become more sophisticated. IT services in Los Angeles are crucial to help protect your business against data loss. 

Every day, businesses and organizations fall victim to data breaches through malware, ransomware, phishing, and insider threats. Cybercrime is estimated to cost the world $10.5 trillion yearly by 2025. Herein are essential safeguards you can implement to prevent data loss.

1. Develop a Security-First Culture

It’s imperative to foster a security-first culture where data security is everyone’s shared responsibility. The human aspect is often the weakest link in any organization’s cybersecurity. Employees compromise data systems unintentionally or maliciously. 

Take a proactive and ongoing approach to training your workforce on data security threats and countermeasures. Communicate the impact of data breaches on the organization and hold periodic security sessions. Issue rules for mobile devices, internet browsing, email, and social networks.

2. Secure Database Access

Database security is one of the most important aspects of a data loss prevention strategy. You can secure your database through:

• Database hardening – disable services or features that you aren’t using. Limit privileges and user access to the minimum needed for business operations. You can also enlist an IT services provider in Los Angeles to conduct a security audit of your database.
• Managing database access – examine who can access what in your database. Limit the number of users with administrative access. Also, reduce dependencies such that one database vulnerability doesn’t impact the entire system.
• Secure authentication – implement strong password policies for database accounts. Utilize multi-factor authentication for administrative access.
• Secure communication – databases support several communication channels, including APIs and services. Ensure the communication methods are secured through encryption and authentication.

3. Encourage Password Security Best Practices

Passwords are the first lines of defense against data breaches. However, they are also the “front door” for cybercriminals. Implementing strong password best practices across your organization is a simple way to safeguard your systems from unauthorized access. 

Encourage all your employees to create strong, complex passwords. To increase password complexity, include punctuation, misspellings, alphanumerical character combinations, spaces, and symbols. Other password best practices include excluding personal information from passwords, using different passwords across multiple accounts, and changing passwords periodically.

4. Patch and Update Your Operating Systems and Software

Regular updates and patches are a critical element of any data loss prevention strategy. Cybercriminals exploit software vulnerabilities to infect your systems, leak sensitive data or modify data. Operating system and software updates protect your data from unauthorized access by fixing the vulnerabilities in the software. 

Update your IT infrastructure with the latest software versions and security patches. Also, don’t limit security updates to software patches. Adopt improvements and new features that strengthen your overall cybersecurity.

Conclusion

The importance of data security in today’s cyberthreat landscape necessitates external professional managed services. IT services companies in Los Angeles can help you conduct thorough system audits and implement proactive data protection measures. Advanced Networks understands the significance of data security and the impact it can have on your business. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you secure your data and manage your IT infrastructure’s security.