How Much Does a Data Breach Cost?

This is the question asked by every business owner these days. It’s no wonder, with security breaches getting more and more common, that many people are wondering how much they will be hit with in case of disaster.

It’s also no surprise that this uncertainty leads to inaction. Fewer data-breach prevention measures are taken because nobody wants to pay for something they might not need. But there are many steps you can take to better protect your business against cyber-attacks. 

The Cost of a Data Breach

According to research conducted by the Ponemon Institute, 2021 had the highest average cost in 17 years. Data breach costs rose from USD 3.86 million to USD 4.24 million, the highest average total cost in the 17-year history.

The 4 key factors driving the cost up are:

  • Increased detection time for breaches because of increased complexity
  • Increased consequences for data breaches due to increased sensitivity
  • Increased regulatory compliance costs
  • Increased remote work due to COVID-19

That means that you need to take proactive steps if you want to protect your business. The first step is understanding where your company needs protection.

Why Prevention is Important

Data breaches and cyber-attacks are not things to take lightly. Data breaches, in particular, can have huge repercussions for your company. For example, a data breach could lead to lost revenue, negative media attention, and customer loss.

You’ll often hear the term “the cost of prevention is less than the cost of cleaning up.” This phrase sums up our top tip: Prevention is crucial.

How to Prevent Data Breaches

There are many prevention measures you can take to protect your company from data breaches and cyber-attacks. 

  1. Keep your systems updated

As technology changes and new threats emerge, it’s important that your systems and software stay updated as well. This will ensure they’re protected against new threats as they come out.

  1. Conduct a security audit.

This is the first and most important step in preventing data breaches. You need to know what’s already in place and what needs to be fixed.

  1. Improve password security.

If you’re like most people, your email account has probably been hacked at least once by now. This is because people often use passwords that are too simple or easy to guess. To keep your business safe from cyber-attacks, make sure that every employee uses complex and unique passwords and change them regularly (at least once a quarter).

  1. Encrypt data when it’s not in use.

If you do encrypt your data, make sure it’s not always on. Make sure employees only access the information they need when they need it, and make sure they delete their browsing history afterward. Consider cloud encryption software for sensitive documents.

  1. Perform regular backups

When hackers do break into a system, this is their last hope for stealing any valuable information – so you want to make sure that backup doesn’t exist! That means performing regular backups on a separate medium from the computer system itself – like an external hard

  1. Finally, there are some programs that can help detect potential threats by monitoring for unusual behavior on your network. These programs will alert you if they find anything unusual so you can take appropriate action before any real damage is done.

The Price of Being Victimized

IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report found that the average total cost of a data breach is $3.86 million and moving in an upward trend. This data, in particular, validates the reason to invest in preventative data security. In 2020, the country with the highest average total cost of a data breach was the United States at $8.64 million.

The price for being victimized by a data breach is high. Not only will your business have to deal with technical issues associated with a breach but you’ll also have to manage public perception.

Conclusion

Data breaches are a growing concern for any company that stores or handles customer’s data. With the rise in cyber-attacks, it’s important to be proactive and prepared for a potential breach.

A data breach could cost your company millions of dollars in lost revenue, legal fees, and customer loyalty. Once you have a better understanding of the cost of a data breach, it’s easier to take the necessary precautions to avoid being a victim.

It’s important to be prepared and take every measure possible to prevent a data breach in order to avoid these high costs.

Outsourcing Software Development: Your Time, Money and Stress-Free Solution

Outsourcing software development can be a powerful way to grow your business. But it’s not easy to find the best company for the job. There are many different providers, with widely varying levels of expertise, prices, and customer service.

There are also lots of factors to consider. You need to take into account your budget, timeframes, technical requirements, and project goals. What is your preferred language? What level of support do you need?

What is outsourcing?

Before you dive into the process of finding the best provider, it’s worth taking some time to understand what outsourcing is and why it matters.

Outsourcing software development is a process in which businesses hire outside companies or freelancers to work on specific tasks or projects. Hiring someone else to handle the work frees up your company’s resources so you can focus on other projects.

This often includes things like:

  • Development services
  • Testing services
  • Marketing services
  • Design services
  • Project management

Why does outsourcing matter? There are many benefits to outsourcing software development, including:

  • More time for innovation
  • Focus on core business activity
  • Higher quality work for less cost
  • Ability to access skills not available in-house

The benefits of outsourcing software development

Outsourcing software development brings many benefits to your company. It can save you time and money, and it will give you access to the best talent in the business. It is a great option for companies that don’t have the time or resources necessary to build their own team of developers. Outsourcing also gives you access to top talent who may not be available locally for your business.

If your company needs a tailor-made solution, outsourcing is the way to go. This process will allow you to work with a company that specializes in what you need. Rely on their expertise and experience instead of having to develop those skills internally.

If you need help scaling up quickly—or just want to take some load off your plate for a while—outsource software development! You can outsource small projects as needed, or use an entire team of developers for a larger project.>>>

Finding the right company for your project

Finding the right company for your project is no easy task. There are many factors to consider and lots of providers to choose from.

It’s important that you know what you want and what you need before starting a search. This way, you’re much more likely to find the best fit for your project.

One of the first things to do is research different service providers and figure out which ones offer the type of services, quality, and support you need. You don’t want to choose a provider without knowing what they offer!

You should also be sure to ask about all costs upfront so there are no hidden charges later on down the line. You want to have an honest discussion with potential providers about your goals so they know what you expect from them on this project.

Finally, make sure they have experience in developing software applications like yours. Don’t just rely on their portfolio—talk with them about how they’ve tackled projects similar to yours in the past!

How to work effectively with a software development team

The best way to work with a software development company is to create clear, detailed documentation and effectively communicate your needs.

To start, you should write a profile of what you’re looking for: this includes budget, timeframes, technical requirements, and project goals. Next, list your operational priorities: this will help developers better understand how they can help you achieve your business objectives.

Once you’ve done these things, it’s easy to find the right software development company for your needs. You’ll be able to make a decision more quickly and easily by comparing companies based on their expertise, price range, and customer service capabilities.

Conclusion

Outsourcing software development is a great way to save time, money, and stress. And the benefits of outsourcing software development are many. If you need quality software development service at a competitive price, you’ve come to the right place. Let us show you why outsourcing is the best choice for your next project.

The Importance of Data Protection in the IT Industry

The IT industry is exploding with innovation and new developments. The world is quickly becoming digitalized. However, just like any other burgeoning industry, there are always challenges to overcome. One of the major challenges the IT industry faces today is data protection.

Learn how to protect yourself against data breaches and ensure your company’s data remains secure. This blog post will cover topics such as what data breaches are, methods for prevention, and steps you can take to recover after a breach.

Why is it important to secure data?

Data is the life-blood of every business. It’s what drives big decisions, and it can be a company’s most valuable asset. This means that data must be protected from all threats.

Something as seemingly harmless as a lost laptop or an infected email campaign could cause irreparable damage to any business. So, protecting data from unauthorized access, destructive malware, and other malicious cyberattacks is critical to the survival of any organization.

What are the security vulnerabilities in the IT industry?

Despite the prevalence of high-tech security measures, data breaches are still a major threat to the IT industry. The IT industry is at risk of natural disasters, power outages, and human errors.

Additionally, with so many innovative new products on the market, there is always some degree of vulnerability present in any new product.

Furthermore, companies that offer these innovative products introduce vulnerabilities into the network that they build for customers. Thus, introducing potential vulnerabilities into their own networks.

The introduction of these new products also causes problems when it comes to the compatibility of different platforms with current systems. This can lead to data breaches if not taken seriously enough by the relevant parties involved.

How to prevent data breaches?

There are many ways to prevent data breaches.

Some of the most common prevention methods include:

  • Hiring a data security expert to conduct an audit of your systems and provide recommendations on how you can improve your security.
  • Implementing routine tests that check for vulnerabilities in your system and fix them before they can be exploited.
  • Conducting fire drills and exercises to test the preparedness of your business for a cybersecurity incident.
  • Ensuring that all staff members understand the importance of data protection, and how to protect against cyber attacks.

As we mentioned earlier, there are many different types of data breaches. When you’re working with a data security expert, it’s wise to ask them about the type(s) of the breach they’re concerned about. This will help you identify any potential weaknesses in your system that need to be strengthened.

Importance of cyber-insurance

Every day, over 3 billion records are exposed in some sort of data breach. Cyber-insurance is a new form of insurance that is available to cover the costs of data breaches.

It’s important for companies to purchase cyber insurance because they won’t be able to afford the costs associated with these data breaches. It can cost up to $40,000 per violation for remediation and notification expenses alone. If your business has 500,000 records exposed in a breach, this would equate to more than $20 million worth of expenses.

Insurers offer cyber-insurance policies at various levels of coverage for costs of not only remediation and notification but also attorney fees, regulatory fines, and penalties.

Informing your employees about these policies and explaining why it is important for them to be aware is helpful as well. Employees need to know what steps they can take in order to protect themselves from a data breach as well as how much a data breach will cost the company…in terms of time and money!

Conclusion

Data is your company’s most valuable asset. It is important to protect this asset by creating a data backup plan, implementing the latest security protocols, and having cyber insurance in place.

To ensure that you are able to meet your data protection needs, you will need to evaluate the different types of protection available.