Nowadays, the number of data breaches particularly in Asia has gone up significantly. These types of cybersecurity related incidents highlight the blind spots in the digital infrastructure across the region. Though organizations and governments have enhanced the technology to address the concerns, the frequency paints a different picture.
Note that, almost all of the industries are hit by these types of attacks and nothing seems to be immune at the time of writing this post. The data breaches also impact other things such as brand image and reputation which brings a sense of urgency to address them at the earliest.
In this blog post, let us dive deep into the key takeaways from the recent incidents that surprised the cybersecurity realm.
Major Cybersecurity Incidents in Asia: A Quick Overview
SingHealth (Singapore, 2018)
The cyber attack on SingHealth, Singapore’s largest healthcare group, shocked everyone. The data breach led to more than 1.5 million individuals compromised profiles.
Hooq (Southeast Asia, 2020)
Hooq was a popular video-streaming platform operating in Southeast Asia. It faced a data breach that exposed more than 8 million users’ personal information. Leaked data included usernames, email and passwords.
Zhenhua Data Leak (China, 2020)
The Zhenhua data breach exposed the firm’s extensive database on influential people. Affected people were apparently government officials and military personnel too.
Juspay (India, 2021)
This incident highlighted the need for more secure financial transactions and showed the vulnerabilities of payment processors at that time.
Woolworths and MyDeal (Australia, 2022)
Cyber attack on this firm ended up leaking personal information of over 2.2 million customers.
Proactive Security Measures and MFA
One thing becomes clear after witnessing all the cyber security threats which is late response. Instead of being reactive organizations should focus on taking proactive measures such as regular vulnerability assessments, penetration testing and real-time monitoring of the servers. Having a clear plan of action does help.
However, having a well established system in place helps in early detection which is crucial to mitigate the success of the sneaky attacks.
Also, having multi-factor authentication is also ideal. MFA adds another layer of security and even in the worst case scenario slows down the attackers which is paramount in buying a few extra minutes even if credentials are compromised.
Encrypt Sensitive Data
Data encryption is a necessity when it comes to protecting sensitive information. Encrypted data has a high likelihood of minimizing damage even if it is intercepted by the attackers.
Numerous cyber attacks in the past have shown the importance of having secure servers. However, encryption also enhances the safety aspect and in a few instances it can be a game changer.
Regularly Update and Patch Systems
In general, outdated software is a heaven for cybercriminals. Unpatched systems lead to entry points and from that point onwards, nothing good can come out of it.
So, organizations must prioritize regular updates and ensure that all the systems and integrations are running on the latest version to increase the odds. As mentioned before, real time monitoring also is essential to get the upper hand.
Cybersecurity Education and Training Employees
Even in cybersecurity incidents, human error is a huge part. Things like phishing, weak passwords and unintended data sharing are the common patterns observed. To mitigate these types of attacks, employees should have a trained pair of eyes.
Organizations should regularly conduct training programs and workshops to create awareness about the latest trends and the ways they can use to stay safe. At the end of the day, it does take team effort to bring down criminals of any kind.
Create a Robust Cyber Incident Response Plan
A well established cyber incident response plan helps in navigating the attacks better. During the cyber incident, people tend to panic and it only makes things worse.
If the employees are trained, they can gather the resources and start minimising the damages. In other words, having a clear roadmap makes a huge difference and gives direction to the chaos.
Risk Assessments and Regulatory Standards
Regular risk assessments enable organizations to find gaps in the security infrastructure. By regularly running the checks, the potential threats can be identified and the critical vulnerabilities addressed. People have to understand that cybersecurity is not a one-time thing, it is kind of an on-going process and constant evaluation is needed.
Governments also have come up with detailed data protection laws. Though, there might be few gaps in-between, every organization needs to ensure regulatory adherence. Keep in mind that compliance with regulation is a legal requirement and it helps in building trust with the customers as well.
Cybersecurity Lessons Conclusion
Looking at the disasters from the lack of proper cybersecurity measures in place, one thing becomes clear. If people were proactive instead of reactive, the damages could be mitigated or eliminated.
While we do acknowledge the fact that the space is ever-changing, ensuring basic practices goes a long way. Also, incident response plans and awareness programs can be game changers if it is brushed upon frequently.