Cyberattacks are now the number one cause of data loss , Databarracks research reveals
ew research by Databarracks
N has shown that 38 % of organisations reported cyberattack and internal breaches as a cause of data loss in 2022 .
The findings come from the annual Data Health Check , a survey of 400 IT decision-makers . This year ’ s survey focused on themes of ransomware , cyber , backup , Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity .
“ For many of us , these results should come as no surprise ,” said Barnaby Mote , Managing Director of Databarracks . “ Data loss caused by cyberattacks has been increasing year on year since we began the Data Health Check in 2008 . In a relatively short space of time , we ’ ve watched cyberattacks go from minor threat , to where we are today as the leading cause of data loss for organisations .
“ The seriousness of the situation cannot be overstated . The other causes of data loss have not gone away . IT teams are
In a relatively short space of time , we ’ ve watched cyberattacks go from minor threat , to where we are today as the leading cause of data loss for organisations . still dealing with similar numbers of incidents caused by human error and hardware or software failure . The growth is in addition to these causes . It is a significant burden because recovery from cyber-related data loss is typically far more difficult and time-consuming .
“ Of those surveyed , over half have experienced a cyberattack . We also found , perhaps unsurprisingly , ransomware is the most common form of cyberattack this year .”
Mote provided suggestions on how organisations can protect themselves .
“ There are two key areas organisations can focus on to protect themselves against cyber-related data loss . Firstly , improve your defences to prevent the attack occurring and secondly , improve your ability to respond and recover if you do suffer data loss .
“ Your first line of defence is your staff . It ’ s essential that employees are trained and practice good cyber hygiene . We found that almost a quarter of organisations have not carried out cybersecurity training in the last year .
“ Review your Disaster Recovery plans to make sure they are up to date and equipped to deal with the task at hand . Cyber incidents are very different from traditional causes of data loss . Look specifically at the frequency of your backups and the number of versions of data you keep to minimise both downtime and data loss .
“ Growth in cyber-related data loss will only continue so it is critical organisations are able to respond effectively .” u intelligent DATA SECURITY www . intelligentciso . com
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