The world today has become a digital village, thanks to the advance state-of-art technology connecting almost everything using the internet. This has created an environment that inspires innovation and creativity to grow businesses across the global economy. However, with this kind of constant connectivity, securing critical business data has become a real challenge as cyber attackers use the same technology to tap even the most sensitive networks around the world.
While data engineers have various data security and recovery tools like the free mysql backup and other premium services, most businesses are still exposed to informational security vulnerabilities. Here we will discuss some of the common security loopholes in modern data engineering.
#1 Obsolete and Weak Security Technology
Every other day, there is a new technology released to the market; new software solutions or gadgets that connect to the internet. However, most of the new technologies do not have a robust security plan. This creates unsecured connections, which expose data networks to security vulnerabilities.
Moreover, using outdated security solutions can be a major security loophole as they can no longer prevent or stop serious security threats. Therefore, it is important to update security software whenever there is a new feature or fix. In other situations, companies lack adequate security technology to address identified threats.
#2 Mobile Technology
The mobile industry has evolved at a rapid pace in the last few years. Today, about 70% of the world population has at least access to a smartphone or a tablet. Besides, most online transactions are being completed over mobile devices. While this has made increased productivity by creating a work-from-anywhere society, mobile devices and technologies are more vulnerable to security threats. Attackers can easily access confidential information through mobile connections.
#3 Social Engineering
Modern informational security measures have made it difficult for attacks that use technical techniques. As a result, cyber attackers have turned to non-technical methods, involving social interaction and mental manipulation to gain access to sensitive information. This data engineering loophole is risky, since it is an effective and unpredictable form of intrusion.
#4 Email Platforms
Email is the most widely used communication channel for internal and external communication. Sending and receiving sensitive information via the email is a loophole for data engineering, mainly because emails can be forwarded to the wrong external target. Moreover, without strong email encryption, attackers can use email phishing to access confidential data and use the data to commit second-phase attacks.
#5 Corporate Data Leakage
Companies allow employees to access sensitive information from their personal devices. A good example is the BYOD policy where employees use their mobile phones, tablets or laptops to perform work duties. While this can improve performance, it can compromise data security. Attackers can easily access the data from the less secure staff devices. Confidential data can leak in various ways including:
- BYOD policy (laptops and mobile devices).
- Use of USB memory sticks to store or store information.
- Wireless access points (especially guest Wi-Fi)
Additionally, laptops and other mobile devices could be carrying malicious code executing in the background aiming to scour the network and infect other corporate systems.
#6 Ignoring proper network and device configuration
Big data technology enables network and device customization to suit the company’s needs. However, failure to configure security settings of devices properly exposes your network to potential threats. Skipping simple configuration settings could enable critical functionality, becoming a security loophole for data engineering efforts.
Wrapping Up
Cybercriminals are working day and night to gain access to your network resources and data. Therefore, it is important for companies to seal any loophole that could compromise informational security. Some of the most effective security measures for data engineering include the use of updated security software, invest in modern mobile security solutions and data encryption. Moreover, a good backup strategy is vital to ensure data recovery in case of a malicious attack.