How can employees prevent data breaches?

Employees can prevent data breaches by doing: Using strong, unique passwords and enabling 2FA for all accounts. Being cautious with emails and not clicking on suspicious links or downloading unknown attachments. Regularly update software and devices to patch vulnerabilities. Use a reliable VPN like VeePN to encrypt your Internet connection.

Data Breach Prevention: Strategies and Security Tools You Need

Every click, every login, every transaction leaves a digital footprint. Hackers are digital predators looking for the smallest hole in your defenses. What if your life was hack proof? What if your data, accounts and privacy were untouchable. And the best part is you don’t have to imagine. This guide to data breach prevention will show you how to build a hack proof digital fortress today.

VeePN Research Lab

Jan 15, 2025

4 min read

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What is a data breach and how does it happen?

Data breaches occur when thieves and other people gain unauthorized access to the information that is coded, sealed or otherwise restricted. Besides, one should know the possibility of breaches, and the most common vulnerabilities in order to protect against them successfully.

Vulnerabilities

⚠️Bad password management: Weak or reused passwords means attackers can get into multiple accounts of yours.

⚠️No encryption: Unencrypted confidential data can be sniffed and accessed by hackers.

⚠️Vulnerable networks: Public WiFi networks are the most vulnerable. Any sensitive information sent over these networks is vulnerable.

⚠️Outdated software: Systems not updated regularly have exploitable security holes that attackers can use.

Data leaks are massive. Yahoo, one of the biggest companies, faced one of the biggest hacks ever in 2013, and 3 billion users’ data was stolen. They got users’ handles, and profile links and personal correspondences which contained names, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and hashed passwords were compromised. It was only revealed in 2016.

Also Microsoft has had big breaches in recent years. In 2019, more than 250 million customer service and support records were leaked because of a mistakenly left exposed server. This comprised of emails, IP address and particulars relating to support cases and it lay unprotected for about a month. This is something inherent to humans when working in the cloud, and the need for proper security measures.

The last example is the Real Estate Wealth Network which had a data breach in 2021 due to bad security practices and exposed over 100 GB of customer data. Personal data, payment details and internal documents were exposed because an AWS server was not secured. This is an example of the importance of having preventive measures like data encryption, access controls and regular security audits.

What data is at risk of being breached?

When a breach happens, the following types of sensitive data can be exposed:

🆘Credit card and financial data: Banking details and payment data that can lead to financial fraud.

🆘Login credentials and passwords: Compromised passwords can get into many of your accounts.

🆘Personally identifiable information: Names, addresses, Social Security numbers and other personal data.

🆘Business trade secrets and intellectual property: For businesses losing company data can mean financial and reputational damage.

Data breach prevention tips

These data breach prevention techniques will help you keep your data safe:

☝️Use strong and unique passwords for each account and consider using a password manager to store them.

☝️Enable two-factor authentication 2FA wherever possible to add an extra layer of security.

☝️Install antivirus software to detect and remove malware that can cause breaches.

☝️Update software and apply security patches regularly to close any holes.

☝️Educate employees about phishing and social engineering attacks to reduce human error.

☝️Use VPNs to encrypt data when accessing public and unsecured networks.

But how does a VPN prevent a data breach? Let’s see why VPNs are one of the best data breach response tools.

How VPNs protect your data against breaches

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are one of the best security software to prevent data breaches. They also secure your Internet traffic especially when using public Wi-Fi. Here’s how:

⛔Encryption: VPNs encrypt your Internet traffic so even if it’s intercepted the data is unreadable.

⛔Hiding IP addresses: Since your traffic goes through an encrypted tunnel to a remote server, VPNs can mask your IP address and hide your identity and location from prying eyes.

⛔Blocking malware: Many premium VPNs have features that block malware and harmful websites, add an extra layer of security.

But free VPNs do not provide reliable security breach protection. Many don’t have the necessary security features and may even compromise your data. So it’s better to opt for a premium service like VeePN.

Why VeePN for data security?

Choosing the right VPN service is key to data theft protection. Here are the main security features that makes VeePN top choice:

Why VeePN is a reliable email security tool

🛡️Best-in-class encryption: VeePN uses advanced encryption protocols to keep your data safe.

🛡️NetGuard: Blocks malware and pop-up ads to secure your browsing.

🛡️Device compatibility: VeePN is compatible with all major devices and platforms, so you have no weak points in your cyber defense.

🛡️Breach Alerts: VeePN has a data breach solution to alert you if your data is at risk.

You can use one VeePN subscription with up to 10 devices to defend your data against security threats. Get VeePN now and have a 30-day money-back guarantee!

FAQ

Worst-case scenario of data breach entails leakage of highly sensitive data such as financial data, health information, or government security information leading to identity theft, theft and other related losses or even compromise of national security. For victims, they have to deal with their reputations shredded, legal repercussions, or long term financial or psychological repercussions whilst businesses could suffer monetary penalties, clientele loss, and complete company collapse. Cyber breaches can also trigger bigger cyber incidents capable of causing disruption to key infrastructure or entire economies.

Employees can prevent data breaches by doing:

Using strong, unique passwords and enabling 2FA for all accounts.
Being cautious with emails and not clicking on suspicious links or downloading unknown attachments.
Regularly update software and devices to patch vulnerabilities.
Use a reliable VPN like VeePN to encrypt your Internet connection.

A VPN can help protect against leaks since your Internet connection is protected thus login information and payments cannot be intercepted by hackers especially when connecting to Wi-Fi in restaurants and cafeterias. It also covers your IP so that hackers cannot pin you down on your particular device. A VPN provides privacy and security but these measures should always be accompanied by such features as special passwords, 2FA, and up-to-date software.

Written by VeePN Research Lab VeePN Research Lab is dedicated to provide you latest posts about internet security and privacy.