The Herculean Task of Identifying Compromised Data: A Logistical Nightmare

In the age of hyperconnectivity and big data, internet security poses an increasingly urgent problem for organizations worldwide. Breaches in corporate networks or cloud environments may deal a severe blow to a company, leading to significant financial losses and permanent reputational damage. Often, companies are not even aware that they have been hacked until they receive a call from the authorities to inform them that their data has been found on the Dark Web. In such cases, launching a breach investigation becomes critical, starting with the identification of the breached data and its stored location.

Security professionals recommend a continuous monitoring and risk-detection approach, which can detect anomalous behavior that could indicate a data breach. Rather than focusing on looking for known signatures or indicators of compromise, security teams should concentrate on understanding their organization’s data and how it is accessed, used, and stored. However, this may prove difficult since many organizations may overlook potential sources of forensic information, such as cloud services, mobile devices, or physical media.

Companies aiming to safeguard their data must maintain traced asset management profiles, including where data is stored, which data is located in specific repositories, a complete inventory of the network topology, and device information. A well-defined plan can also aid in the collection of all relevant data and the investigation’s methodical and effective conduct. Forensically sound data acquisition and preservation methods help maintain evidence integrity and a defensible data collection process.

Breaches in operational technology environments often pose other complexities. For instance, compromised data could exist in device controllers embedded in critical infrastructure systems, such as a water treatment plant, where you cannot disconnect or turn off a compromised device without cutting off service to thousands of people. Customised hardware equipment, unknown or unpublished protocols, and non-standard software tools can further complicate forensic investigations for interlinked IT and OT systems.

Cyber-analysts recommend an automated data discovery and classification approach to better understand where sensitive data exists and who has access to it. Connected systems, identities, people, security controls, and other identifiable assets combine to provide the path back to the data breach. By identifying and prioritizing security controls, such as access controls and encryption, cybersecurity professionals can ensure data protection and improve response capabilities.

Data security breaches have become almost inevitable, but a proactive, vigilant cybersecurity strategy can help prevent significant damage. Continuous monitoring, forensically sound data acquisition and preservation, and sophisticated data discovery methods for tracing a breach’s origins and effects can improve organizations’ capabilities to defend against cyber-attacks. To achieve a secure and resilient cybersecurity posture, organizational security measures need to evolve continuously to keep up with the rapidly changing landscape of internet security threats.

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