What is a data leak?

The terms data leak and data breach are often confused with each other. But the two are not the same. A data leak is usually an accident and happens when an internal source exposes information to an external party. A data breach, on the other hand, is often intentional and takes place when an external party accesses an unauthorized network to gain access to or exfiltrate sensitive information, which can result in a data leak.

When you experience a data leak, act quickly to identify the source of the leak, understand the extent of the leak, and notify the existing parties. With a data breach, it’s important to isolate the compromised system, investigate the extent of the breach, and report the incident to authorities.

In both cases, you should also take steps to prevent future incidents by improving your data security practices and policies.

This is the most common reason for a data leak. An employee may save data in an unsecured location, accidentally share data with an outside party, or fall victim to a phishing or social engineering attack.

Malware including viruses and spyware may be used to access data or compromise devices. Heavy traffic from a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack may cause systems to act unpredictably, potentially exposing vulnerabilities.

Insider risk occurs when someone who has been given access to company resources maliciously or inadvertently put sensitive data at risk of data leak, data sabotage, or data theft.

Data may be leaked when third-party companies that have access to a business’s data suffer a breach.

Attackers may trick employees into revealing sensitive information through phishing attacks on deceptive emails or websites.

Data stored in the cloud may be accessed by unauthorized users if the cloud service is not properly secured.

An employee may leave a laptop in a public place, or a thief may steal a hard drive from an office, allowing unauthorized access to the sensitive data by anyone who finds or obtains it.

Short, common, system default, or rapidly-guessed passwords can make it easy for hackers to steal credentials and access sensitive data or systems without password protection policies in place.

Authentication and permissions may not be properly managed, allowing users to gain access to data they should not be able to see. Weak login security can also allow unauthorized users to gain access to sensitive data.

Data leaks pose a significant threat to data security, revealing confidential information, like personal identifiable information (PII), intellectual property, and trade secrets to the public and potentially, competitors. This exposure can lead to a competitive disadvantage, legal repercussions, and a tarnished brand image. Data leaks can serve as a wake-up call for organizations to reassess their data security strategies and invest in more robust data protection measures.

Compliance professionals play a crucial role in preventing data leaks. They are responsible for establishing data security policies and procedures, detecting and reporting data leaks, ensuring employee training, and planning incident response. Their work is vital in maintaining an organization’s compliance with data protection laws and preventing data leaks.

A data leak can cause significant reputational damage, impacting an organization’s ability to attract new customers, future investors, and prospective employees. The repercussions of a data leak can be far-reaching, affecting not only the immediate financial situation but also the long-term viability of the organization.

Losing intellectual property (IP) to cybercriminals or malicious insiders can be devastating. IP constitutes a significant portion of a company’s value, and its theft poses a significant risk to the company’s innovation, competitiveness, and growth. With access gained from a data leak, hackers may use ransomware to destroy or block access to critical data and systems until a ransom is paid.

Operational disruptions caused by data leaks can also lead to significant losses. A non-functional website may drive potential customers to competitors. Any IT system downtime can lead to work disruptions, necessitating taking systems offline to conduct a thorough investigation into the breach and what systems were accessed.

Ensures that employees are aware of the different kinds of threats that can lead to a data leak and are familiar with the organization’s data leak policies. Regular refresher sessions and guidance when specific issues arise can help reinforce this training.

Uses AI and automation to quickly and effectively spot threats. Ongoing detection and testing can identify potential risk areas and alert the organization to potential data and security issues before they can cause damage.

Data leaks can often be traced to third parties that have too much access to an organization’s network and data. Tools for third-party risk management monitor and limit how third parties, such as suppliers, partners, or service providers, access and use data.

Data loss prevention (DLP) tools help prevent the sharing, transfer, or use of sensitive data by detecting misuse of sensitive information across the data estate. Insider risk management solutions provide comprehensive visibility into user activities, helping organizations identify and mitigate potential threats from within.

Monitors mobile devices, desktop computers, virtual machines, embedded devices, and servers to safeguard against threat actors who seek out vulnerabilities or human error and take advantage of security weaknesses.

SIEM provides security teams a central place to collect, aggregate, and analyze volumes of data across an enterprise, effectively streamlining security workflows. They also deliver operational capabilities such as compliance reporting, incident management, and dashboards that prioritize threat activity.

Preventing data leaks can be difficult—it can feel never-ending. Quickly identifying gaps in security and prioritizing resources to investigate and mitigate them is crucial to reducing the impact of potential leaks and breaches. Fortunately, many cybersecurity tools that prevent external threats can also identify insider risks.

Gain insights into data, detect critical insider risks that may lead to potential data security incidents, and prevent data leaks effectively with information protection, insider risk management, and DLP capabilities of Microsoft Purview.

Manage organizational access and receive alerts if there is suspicious sign-in and access activity with Microsoft Entra ID.

Secure your clouds, apps, endpoints, and email from unauthorized activities with Microsoft Defender 365.

By adopting these tools and using expert guidance, organizations can better manage data leaks to protect their critical assets.