A data leak can be one of the most critical situations for any company. In addition to putting sensitive information at risk, this situation can undermine customer trust and damage reputation. It is essential to know how to act quickly to minimize damage and protect your company. This practical guide will show you what to do in the event of a data leak and how a robust solution can prevent such incidents in the future.
Identify the Source and Contain the Leak
The first step upon noticing a data leak is to identify how and where it occurred. Knowing which system was compromised and what information was accessed is crucial for understanding the extent of the problem. To do this, follow these steps:
- Disconnect Affected Systems: Isolating compromised servers or devices can prevent the leak from continuing and minimize data exposure.
- Review Security Logs: Check recent activity logs to identify anomalies, such as unauthorized access.
- Change Passwords and Access Controls: Revoke access for compromised users and set new passwords to protect the systems.
Practical Tip: Box Security from STWBRASIL offers a continuous monitoring solution that helps identify suspicious activities before a leak occurs, in addition to allowing for immediate threat containment.
What to Do If You Don’t Know How to Act?
If you do not have an internal IT team or technical knowledge to handle the leak, your first step should be to seek specialized help to identify the source of the problem, contain the attack, and recover the data. Here’s what you can do immediately:
- Contact Cybersecurity Experts: The STWBRASIL team is prepared to act quickly and isolate compromised systems, preventing the leak from continuing.
- Request an Emergency Audit: An emergency audit will identify the exploited vulnerabilities and help restore the security of your company’s systems.
- Implement Corrective Measures: After the intervention of specialists, measures such as password resets and updates to access control policies will be taken to ensure the breach is fully closed.
Practical Tip: If you are currently facing a leak, contact STWBRASIL immediately. Our team is ready to help your company regain security and prevent future incidents.
Assess the Impact and Compromised Information
After containing the leak, it’s time to assess the damage. It is important to understand what types of data were exposed, as this directly influences subsequent actions. Financial information, personal data of customers, or intellectual property require different treatments.
- Classify Compromised Data: Identify whether the leaked data includes sensitive information, such as social security numbers, banking data, or confidential contracts.
- Determine Financial Impact: Leaks can incur fines, especially in cases involving regulations like the LGPD (General Data Protection Law).
- Inform Internal Stakeholders: Communication with IT, legal, and compliance teams is crucial to prepare the next steps and ensure transparency.
Notify Involved Parties and Authorities
Often, legislation requires the company to inform both affected customers and the competent authorities. The LGPD stipulates that, in the event of a leak of personal data, the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) must be informed within 72 hours. Additionally, it is essential to notify users whose information was exposed.
- Prepare a Statement: Clarify what happened, what types of data were compromised, and what measures have been taken to contain the problem.
- Inform Authorities: If the leak is large-scale or involves sensitive data, communication with the ANPD and other regulatory bodies is mandatory.
- Transparency with Customers: Notify affected customers clearly and honestly, explaining the preventive measures taken to avoid future incidents.
Seek Help from Experts
Depending on the severity of the leak, it may be necessary to hire cybersecurity experts to identify the exploited vulnerability and make corrections. STWBRASIL offers complete support in such cases, with a specialized incident response team that can assist in investigation and system recovery.
Practical Tip: STWBRASIL offers a Digital Forensics service that conducts a detailed analysis of how the attack occurred, identifying points of vulnerability and ensuring the integrity of digital evidence for use in legal proceedings if necessary.
Strengthen Your Defenses
After containing the leak and recovering the data, it’s time to think about strengthening your company’s security to avoid future incidents. Here are some actions that can be taken:
- Security Audit: Conduct a comprehensive audit of IT systems to identify other vulnerabilities that may be exploited.
- Team Training: Ensure that your employees are prepared to recognize and handle threats, such as phishing attacks.
- Implementation of Access Control Policies: Define who can access certain data and adopt multi-factor authentication to add extra layers of protection.
Box Security: The Box Security service from STWBRASIL provides multi-layered protection, from content filtering to secure VPN solutions and access control. This ensures that only authorized individuals can access your company’s critical data, minimizing the risk of new leaks.
Prepare for the Future
Facing a data leak is challenging, but with the right actions and support from experts, damage can be minimized. The most important thing is to be prepared for the future by adopting a robust digital security strategy and continuous monitoring.
STWBRASIL offers a variety of services to protect your company against data leaks and other digital threats, ensuring that you are prepared to deal with current and future risks. In addition to Box Security, mentioned in this article, which offers integrated real-time protection, we have solutions such as:
- Security Audit and Consulting: Detailed assessment of your company’s systems, identifying vulnerabilities and proposing improvements to maintain compliance with security standards, such as ISO 27001 and the LGPD.
- Pentest (Penetration Testing): Controlled simulation of cyberattacks to test the resilience of your digital infrastructure, ensuring your defenses are prepared for real intruders.
- Digital Forensics: Technical investigation to collect and analyze digital evidence, essential for cases of fraud, data leaks, and legal disputes.
- CISO as a Service: We provide highly qualified Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) to act as outsourced managers of your company’s information security, offering strategic leadership and continuous oversight of security policies.
- Vulnerability Monitoring: Constant monitoring of servers and systems to identify security gaps and ensure real-time defense against potential attacks.
These services ensure comprehensive and personalized protection, tailored to the needs of each company. With STWBRASIL, your company will be equipped to face the ever-evolving digital landscape, with cutting-edge solutions that go beyond a simple antivirus.
