The Role of Cybersecurity Architecture in Preventing Data Breaches
To answer why cybersecurity is important, and understanding the architecture’s role in preventing data breaches, it’s crucial to understand that with the rapid technological advancements occurring in the 21st century, there is also a swift increase in potential cyber threats for organisations in any industry.
Cyber threats occur in many different forms but are commonly seen as: Phishing in which users are tricked into revealing sensitive information by clicking on “fishy” links etc…, and Ransomware which is typically malicious software that encrypts, transfers, and or damages company data in order to gain monetary compensation for the release of said data. Unfortunately, these are only a select few of potential cyber dangers.
The main issue with Cyberattacks is that we normally hear about them when they’re on a large scale - similar to the Optus’ data breach in 2022, or MediSecure’s ransomware attack in 2024. For reference, there are over 4000 ransomware attacks every day, and many businesses may have been targeted by cyberattacks and have had sensitive information such as employee emails, names, addresses… leaked without even knowing about it… and that’s where cybersecurity steps in.
Cyber Risk Management
A strong risk management architecture would typically secure email gateways, monitor and eliminate potential and existing threats, on top of ensuring database security. There are multiple ways to achieve this, with the first being Threat Defence.
Dark Web Monitoring
63% of businesses reported the loss of sensitive data from the Dark Web in 2019. Fortunately, there are many useful tools that businesses can utilise to protect their valuable information with one of them being: uBeach Pro. This program provides a cyber risk intelligence platform designed to detect, analyse, and mitigate data breaches in real time. By monitoring Dark Web activities, exposed credentials, and security vulnerabilities, the AI-powered tool is able to provide businesses with a way to fortify their defensive holes.
Endpoint Protection & Endpoint Data Protection
You might be wondering if cybersecurity will be replaced by AI, and it seems that the current trajectory of the cybersecurity industry is indeed headed towards larger reliance on AI dependant cybersecurity architecture. In order to ensure endpoint protection with the highest prevention and detection rates, cybersecurity experts are shifting towards deep learning technology to develop innovative solutions. Deep Instinct is a prime example of predicting and stopping potential threats. It’s capable of detecting known and unknown malware within 20 seconds, and it maintains a 99% unknown threat prevention accuracy compared to the industry average 57%. If more companies were to implement deep learning tech, they would significantly increase the probability of detecting and stopping potential threats before they’ve penetrated and put valuable data at risk.
Data Sentinels are also crucial instruments for data protection against ransomware attacks as they’re capable of blocking the transmission of sensitive data by marking the end of a data stream. Typically, companies would utilise backup databases to restore lost data from ransomware attacks, and accidental corruption/deletion of files which can be a lengthy process, however, some Data Sentinels such as NeuShield, don’t require the usage of backup data. Instead, NeuShield ensures that its users are able to promptly recover sensitive data with a technique called Mirror Shielding. Whenever file changes occur, the program will isolate and store data in a separate overlay leaving the original file unchanged. Users would then be able to instantly delete the data in the overlay, and revert changes made by either ransomware or accidental hiccups.
Ultimately, by utilising sophisticated tools such as Deep Instinct, and NeuShield, organisations are likely to have huge benefits for their overall threat defence.
To answer why cybersecurity is important, and understanding the architecture’s role in preventing data breaches, it’s crucial to understand that with the rapid technological advancements occurring in the 21st century, there is also a swift increase in potential cyber threats for organisations in any industry.
Cyber threats occur in many different forms but are commonly seen as: Phishing in which users are tricked into revealing sensitive information by clicking on “fishy” links etc…, and Ransomware which is typically malicious software that encrypts, transfers, and or damages company data in order to gain monetary compensation for the release of said data. Unfortunately, these are only a select few of potential cyber dangers.
Human Risk Management
Cybersecurity threats can occur from places we least expect as well. According to OAIC, 30% of data breaches between January-June 2024 were attributed to human error, and in most cases, human related incidents happen on accident but sometimes, these accidents have astronomical effects as we’ve seen with the CrowdStrike global outage in 2024. While the CrowdStrike case can likely be attributed to an IT failure, the idea remains the same.
If companies want to reduce the risk of human related incidents, they must better understand how their employees operate in the workplace. By doing so, companies would be able to provide adequate training on how to deal with risky circumstances caused by malicious actors.
With the implementation of routine security awareness training, organisations can minimise cyber breaches by encouraging vigilant mindset in the workplace and at home.
Finally, cybersecurity architecture is critical for preventing data breaches and protecting vital organisational data. Proactive solutions like cyber risk management and comprehensive training to address human error can dramatically minimise the likelihood of cyberattacks.
We have a responsibility to continuously adapt and innovate against ever growing cyber threats. Investing in robust cybersecurity infrastructure is not just a safeguard; it’s an essential commitment to securing the future of any organisation.
If you don’t remember the last time your organisation has had a cyber health check, it might be in your company’s best interest to consider one with PDG’s penetration test.
