A data leak is the exposure of sensitive, protected, or confidential data to unauthorized individuals or entities. This can happen due to internal errors, poor data security, outdated systems, a lack of employee training, or a deliberate data breach by a person with access to the information. Data leaks can occur physically, on the internet, or through lost hard drives or laptops, and can allow cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data without effort.
Its important to distinguish between a data leak and a data breach. While both involve the unauthorized exposure of data, the cause of the exposure determines whether its a leak or a breach. A data leak occurs when an internal source exposes information, while a data breach is caused when an external source breaches the system in a cyberattack. Criminals can use a variety of methods to try and break into a network, and they only need one data leak to turn it into a massive data breach.
Preventing data leaks starts with a strong, multi-layered cybersecurity approach and addressing common vulnerabilities such as insecure data storage, employee negligence, and insider threats. Organizations should also run through various data leak scenarios and develop processes and actions that lead to efficient and effective data recovery, flushing out any potential attack entry points, remediating any vulnerabilities, and addressing any affected parties. Products like Kaspersky Security Cloud offer data leak detection and help organizations navigate the situation.
