The worst case scenarios in Data security in East Africa

CIO East Africa interviewed Greg Sarrail – Vice President, Solutions Business Development, Biometrics Lumidigm® brand, HID Global on Data security trends in East Africa. The excerpts follow…

What are the worst case scenarios in Data security in East Africa

Fraudulent transactions and inappropriate access to information due to unauthorized access to information is the same issue faced worldwide for data security. For example: The Standard Bank credit card information theft led to the loss of R300million in May 2016. Banks are a key target for fraudsters so they must take data security seriously to protect the identity of their customers and ensure the right people can easily access their accounts.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security solution that requires more than one method of authentication from independent categories of credentials to verify the user’s identity for a login or other transaction.

Why do enterprises fail to secure their data?

Many enterprises underestimate the impact of having data that is not secured until after a breach occurs. The financial cost and loss of goodwill is often miscalculated.  The expense for data security and proper user authentication is analogous to the expense of an insurance policy.  Unfortunately, there are enough examples in the market that demonstrate the need to secure data on-site, when on the move and remotely such as in the cloud. In addition, enterprises can fail to ensure strong authentication methods are implemented for individuals who have the authority to access this information.

Share some tips on data security for the enterprise in East Africa especially best-practice examples

Tips & Best practice
1.    Encrypt critical information, such as credit card numbers, throughout your environment.
2.     Use caution with new technology, including cloud computing or virtualization. Multi-factor authentication is recommended when accessing systems and confidential personal information.
3.     Protect endpoint devices such as personal digital assistants, laptops, memory sticks and cell phones that are used to store critical information.  When possible use end-point devices that can securely authenticate with back-end systems to ensure that the communication is originating from the proper device.
4.     Implement enterprise data protection policies such as strong passwords, encryption, multi-factor authentication and remote data deletion for endpoint devices.

Which industry sectors must seriously take care of their Data security?
All sectors with specific focus on Government, Finance and Healthcare.

What advice would you give CIOs is East Africa regarding securing their Data?
“Every CIO should continuously educate themselves on this topic and focus on developing and  implementing a risk appropriate layered data security strategy.”