Stop Business Partner Data Leaks

TL;DR

Business partner information is leaking. This guide helps you find where it’s happening and stop it, covering common causes like insecure file sharing, weak access controls, and phishing attacks. We’ll focus on practical steps to protect your data.

1. Identify What Data Is Leaking

1. Data Inventory: Make a list of all the types of business partner information you store (names, addresses, contact details, financial info, etc.).
2. Where is it stored? Document where this data lives – servers, cloud storage, databases, laptops, shared drives, CRM systems.
3. Data Flow Mapping: Trace how the data moves through your organisation. Who accesses it? Where does it go when it’s used?
4. Monitoring Tools: Use tools to detect unusual activity.
   • SIEM (Security Information and Event Management): Logs events across systems for suspicious patterns.
   • DLP (Data Loss Prevention): Scans data in motion and at rest for sensitive information.
   • Network Monitoring: Tracks network traffic for unexpected transfers.

2. Secure File Sharing

1. Stop Unapproved Tools: Ban the use of personal file-sharing services (Dropbox, Google Drive) for business data.

   # Example policy statement: "Use of unapproved cloud storage is prohibited."

2. Approved Solutions: Implement a secure file sharing solution with access controls and encryption. Examples include Microsoft SharePoint, Box, or dedicated secure file transfer platforms.
3. Permissions: Limit access to files based on the ‘least privilege’ principle – only give people the access they *need*.
4. Watermarking: Add watermarks to sensitive documents to track their origin if leaked.

   # Example watermark text: "Confidential - [Company Name]"

3. Strengthen Access Controls

1. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Require MFA for all accounts accessing business partner data.
   • Use authenticator apps, SMS codes, or hardware tokens.
2. Strong Passwords: Enforce strong password policies (length, complexity, regular changes).

   # Example password policy requirements: "Minimum 12 characters, including uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols."

3. Regular Access Reviews: Periodically review user access rights to ensure they are still appropriate. Remove unnecessary permissions.
4. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Assign permissions based on job roles instead of individual users, simplifying management.

4. Protect Against Phishing

1. Employee Training: Train employees to identify and report phishing emails.
   • Simulated phishing exercises can test awareness.
2. Email Security Gateway: Implement an email security gateway to filter out malicious emails.
3. DMARC, SPF, DKIM: Configure these email authentication protocols to prevent spoofing and phishing attacks.
4. Reporting Mechanism: Provide a simple way for employees to report suspicious emails.

5. Secure Databases

1. Encryption: Encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit.

   # Example database encryption command (PostgreSQL): ALTER TABLE business_partners ENCRYPT;

2. Firewall: Use a firewall to restrict access to the database server.
3. Regular Backups: Perform regular backups of the database and store them securely.
4. Vulnerability Scanning: Regularly scan the database for vulnerabilities.

6. Incident Response Plan

1. Develop a plan: Create a detailed incident response plan to handle data leaks effectively.
2. Containment: Steps to stop the leak immediately (e.g., revoke access, isolate systems).
3. Investigation: Determine the scope of the leak and how it happened.
4. Notification: Procedures for notifying affected parties (business partners, regulators).