Data Security: Threats, Prevention & Recovery

• These notes cover various aspects of data security, including unauthorized access, data loss, intentional destruction/tampering, loss of intellectual property/service/access, breaches of confidential/third-party data, loss of reputation, identity theft, and threats to national security.
• They also include staff responsibilities, disaster recovery planning, assessment and effectiveness of security measures, physical security measures (shredding, locks, backups, biometrics, security staff), and logical protection (usernames/passwords, anti-malware, firewalls, encryption, tiered access levels, obfuscation).

Unauthorized Access to Data

• Data should only be viewed by authorized individuals to maintain confidentiality.
• Espionage and poor information management are primary causes of unauthorized data access.
• Espionage involves collecting data for use against an organization, like a competitor gaining pre-launch information about a rival's product.
• Poor information management includes insecure data storage or excessive access to sensitive information.
• Unauthorized access can benefit competitors and violate the Data Protection Act (2018) if personal data is involved.

Accidental Loss of Data

• Data loss refers to the irretrievable loss of original data, not just copies.
• Equipment failure or technical errors (database crashes, hard drive failures) can lead to data corruption and loss.
• Human error, such as accidentally deleting files or discarding important documents, is another cause.
• Data loss can nullify hours of data entry and collection efforts and delay dependent processes like analysis and trend recognition.
• Loss of personal data breaches the availability principle and the Data Protection Act (2018).

Intentional Destruction of Data

• This involves purposely damaging an organization by deleting or denying access to data.
• Examples include viruses, DDOS attacks, and ransomware.
• Ransomware encrypts files, requiring a fee for decryption and access.
• Organizations can respond by replacing data and infected systems or ignoring the loss while recollecting/reanalyzing data.
• Data destruction can lead to a loss of customer trust, decreased profits, and reputational damage.
• Failure to report breaches can result in significant trust loss, as seen with Yahoo's delayed confirmation of a massive 2013 data breach affecting 3 billion accounts.

Intentional Tampering with Data

• Occurs when data is changed, resulting in inaccuracy.
• Includes fraudulent activities, such as hacking and altering webpage information or manipulating financial data.
• Data tampering results in a loss of reputation due to a lack of trust in data accuracy.
• Altering personal data violates the integrity principle.
• Data security methods must be reviewed, and employees involved may face termination and legal action.

Loss of Intellectual Property

• Intellectual property includes designs, developments, and creations of an organization or individual.
• Examples range from manuscripts and artwork to primary data, blueprints, and analysis reports.
• The impact of loss depends on the property and the ease of recreating or recollecting it.
• Stolen intellectual property can benefit competitors, and leaked announcements lose their impact.
• In 2017, HBO experienced property leaks when Game of Thrones episodes were stolen, leading to online piracy.

Loss of Service and Access

• Stolen usernames and passwords can prevent users from accessing paid services.
• Hackers can change account settings and lock out original account owners.
• DDOS attacks can target services so users cannot log in to webpages or online services.
• Users may switch to alternative providers if services are disrupted.

Breach of Confidential Information

• Confidential information is highly sensitive and requires strong protections to maintain integrity.
• A breach of confidential information leads to a loss of reputation and legal consequences under the Data Protection Act (2018).
• Penalties from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) may occur for failing to protect personal data.

Loss of Third Party Data

• Organizations store data for themselves and third parties like cloud storage providers.
• Hacking or outages can cause data loss for customers, leading to anger, loss of trust, and legal proceedings.
• Larger businesses use private cloud storage in self-maintained data centers to avoid third-party reliance.

Loss of Reputation

• Organizations build reputations on customer trust over years.
• Data loss can quickly destroy reputation, causing customers to seek competitors.
• Failing to keep data safe breaches moral and legal obligations, leading to reduced earnings and sales.

Identity Theft

• Stolen personal information can lead to identity theft.
• The attacker uses the victim’s data for fraud or impersonation.
• Victims may experience financial loss from unauthorized loans, purchases, or services.
• Credit checks can be affected, leading to future financial difficulty.

Threat to National Security

• Loss of classified data (military arrangements, security weak-points, government plans) to malicious entities can have disastrous consequences.
• Foreign spies or terrorists could use information to target vulnerable locations.
• Economic threats may arise from stolen or redirected funds.

Staff Responsibilities

• Staff members spend significant time handling data, so companies need effective protection measures.
• Assigning specific staff to manage types of data ensures accountability.
• Access rights to sensitive information should be limited to those who need it for their job role.
• Training should cover basic data security techniques and protection from unauthorized access and loss.

Disaster & Recovery Planning

• Crucial to have a detailed disaster recovery policy in case of data loss.
• Disasters include natural events, hardware/software failures, and malicious damage.
• Before the disaster: analyze risks, implement preventive measures, and train staff.
• During the disaster: staff follow training, implement contingency plans like cloud uploads or secure backups.
• After the disaster: recover using backups, replace hardware, reinstall software, and update disaster recovery policies.

Assessment and Effectiveness

• Organizations should conduct periodic security risk assessments.
• Training drills prepare the company for potential disasters or data loss.
• Testing security measures identifies weak points for remediation.
• Cost impacts include expenditures on security software, hardware, training, and security personnel.
• RFID is used by IT companies to track equipment and manage access.

Physical Security Measures

• Include shredding, locks, backups, biometrics, and security staff.
• Shredding: Cutting up documents to prevent reassembly and reading.
• Locks: Prevent access to server rooms and sensitive stores.
• Backups: Regularly taken and stored securely offsite or on cloud servers.
• Biometrics: Uses human characteristics to grant access.
• Security Staff: Prevent unauthorized access and monitor secure areas.

Logical Protection

• Involves using digital methods to protect systems and data.
• Usernames & Passwords: Match usernames with secure passwords. Passwords should be complex and changed regularly.
• Anti-Malware: Scans systems and removes viruses and spyware.
• Firewall: Prevents unauthorized access to or from a network by filtering data packets. Implemented via hardware or software.
• Encryption: Converts data into an unreadable format using encryption at rest (stored data) and in transit (transferred data).
• Tiered Levels of Access: Grant different permissions: no access, read-only, or read/write.
• Obfuscation: Deliberately changes data to be unreadable to humans but still understandable by computers.