5 Key Technologies Behind Unintentional Data Breaches, Unmasked
In today's digital age, where data is a critical asset, safeguarding it from potential threats has become a top priority for organizations. However, the real danger often lies within our own ranks, unseen yet powerful. According to a recent survey by Egress, a staggering 83% of security professionals believe that employees have unintentionally exposed sensitive customer or business data.
While it might seem logical to tighten data encryption, it's not the complete solution. Modern collaboration demands seamless data sharing and accessibility, which excessive encryption can inadvertently hinder.
The survey has identified the top five technologies contributing to accidental data breaches:
- External Email Services (51%): Popular for personal use, services like Gmail and Yahoo lack the robust security protocols necessary for corporate use. They do not integrate seamlessly with most corporate IT ecosystems, leading to risks during data transmission.
- Corporate Email (46%): Simple mistakes like sending sensitive data to the wrong address or attaching confidential files by accident can lead to significant data breaches.
- File Sharing Services (40%): Traditional file-sharing services like FTP sites often lack granular permission controls, leading to unregulated access and potential data leaks.
- Collaboration Tools (38%): Tools like Slack, Dropbox, Box, and Egnyte, while enhancing productivity, can inadvertently become conduits for data leakage due to their broad access controls and non-integrated file storage.
- SMS/Messaging Apps (35%): Convenient apps like G-Chat and WhatsApp lack enterprise-grade security measures, leaving shared data vulnerable.
The shift from encryption-centered strategies to secure sharing is the need of the hour.
In today's digital age, where data is a critical asset, safeguarding it from potential threats has become a top priority for organizations. However, the real danger often lies within our own ranks, unseen yet powerful. According to a recent survey by Egress, a staggering 83% of security professionals believe that employees have unintentionally exposed sensitive customer or business data.
While it might seem logical to tighten data encryption, it's not the complete solution. Modern collaboration demands seamless data sharing and accessibility, which excessive encryption can inadvertently hinder.
The survey has identified the top five technologies contributing to accidental data breaches:
- External Email Services (51%): Popular for personal use, services like Gmail and Yahoo lack the robust security protocols necessary for corporate use. They do not integrate seamlessly with most corporate IT ecosystems, leading to risks during data transmission.
- Corporate Email (46%): Simple mistakes like sending sensitive data to the wrong address or attaching confidential files by accident can lead to significant data breaches.
- File Sharing Services (40%): Traditional file-sharing services like FTP sites often lack granular permission controls, leading to unregulated access and potential data leaks.
- Collaboration Tools (38%): Tools like Slack, Dropbox, Box, and Egnyte, while enhancing productivity, can inadvertently become conduits for data leakage due to their broad access controls and non-integrated file storage.
- SMS/Messaging Apps (35%): Convenient apps like G-Chat and WhatsApp lack enterprise-grade security measures, leaving shared data vulnerable.
The shift from encryption-centered strategies to secure sharing is the need of the hour.
FAQ
How can CIOs ensure compliance and audit readiness in Microsoft 365?
Balancing collaboration speed with strong governance is the top challenge. Features like Teams/SharePoint external sharing can create oversharing and audit gaps if unmanaged. Pairing Microsoft Purview with a guest-less external collaboration layer like eSHARE keeps data in-tenant, applies existing controls, and gives CIOs/CISOs the visibility they need without slowing work.
What is the biggest Microsoft 365 governance challenge for CIOs and CISOs today?
Balancing collaboration speed with strong governance is the top challenge. Features like Teams/SharePoint external sharing can create oversharing and audit gaps if unmanaged. Pairing Microsoft Purview with a guest-less external collaboration layer like eSHARE keeps data in-tenant, applies existing controls, and gives CIOs/CISOs the visibility they need without slowing work.
How do organizations manage Microsoft 365 guest account sprawl?
Balancing collaboration speed with strong governance is the top challenge. Features like Teams/SharePoint external sharing can create oversharing and audit gaps if unmanaged. Pairing Microsoft Purview with a guest-less external collaboration layer like eSHARE keeps data in-tenant, applies existing controls, and gives CIOs/CISOs the visibility they need without slowing work.
