Data Exfiltration Prevention

Data is one of the most valuable assets an organization has, so it’s not surprising that criminals are constantly trying to steal it. Data exfiltration is on the rise; 2023 was a record setting year for data theft. Last year, 3,205 data compromises were reported, impacting an estimated 353,027,892 victims. With so many threat actors trying to steal data, it’s important to protect yours.

Flare and Data Theft Prevention

How does Flare prevent data compromises?

If data is stolen, your team needs to know as soon as possible. Flare automates the process of scanning the web, monitoring the clear & dark web 24/7, and sends you alerts when it detects your organization, employees’ name, domain, IP, and any other key information so your team can find stolen data immediately and take action before threat actors are able to exploit it.

Why do security teams use Flare to monitor data breaches?

Attackers don’t want you to know that they’re in your systems. In many cases, your team may have no idea data has been stolen. For this reason, monitoring the clear and dark web for stolen data is critical, but doing it manually is an overwhelming task. Flare scans the dark and clear web, as well as Telegram channels to find compromised data.

What are the key benefits of the Flare data leakage solution?

A proactive security stance: You might not be able to stop every attacker, but by actively seeking stolen data out, you can catch a breach early and take steps to protect your data.
Visibility into exfiltrated data: Flare’s data theft monitoring solution scans the dark and clear web, as well as illicit Telegram channels, to find leaks before an attack happens.
Continuous monitoring: No one person can scan the web for leaks around the clock. Using an automated solution gives you 24/7 coverage, so you will know as soon as information appears on the dark web or a paste and dump site.

Data Exfiltration: What You Need to Know

What is data exfiltration?

Data exfiltration is data theft. It’s the intentional, unauthorized transfer of data from an authorized source (a device or a network) to an unauthorized source. Data can be exfiltrated in several ways: manually, through a network, or with the aid of malware. It’s the goal of most cyber attacks; to steal valuable proprietary information, credentials, or personal data.

What is the difference between data exfiltration and data leakage?

Data exfiltration is always a deliberate, harmful act. It’s something that’s done intentionally, by an outsider or a malicious insider. Data leakage on the other hand, is often accidental. If sensitive information is pushed to a public GitHub repository by mistake, or a AWS bucket is misconfigured, data may be leaked. Leaks can also happen if an employee shares information through insecure channels, like pasting proprietary code into a text. While that employee certainly is showing poor judgment, there’s no malicious intent.

How can data exfiltration be prevented?

Implement strong access controls to ensure authorized users have access to sensitive data.
Encrypt sensitive data both at rest and in transit. This helps prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information even if data is stolen or intercepted.
Educate employees about the importance of data security and provide training on best practices for handling sensitive information. This includes awareness about phishing scams, social engineering attacks, and proper use of company resources.
Keep software, operating systems, and firmware up to date with the latest security patches to mitigate vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.
Use technology that helps you monitor and control the movement of sensitive data within your organization. These tools can detect and prevent unauthorized attempts to transfer sensitive data outside the network, and identify data that has been stolen.

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Why Do You Need Data Exfiltration Prevention in Today’s Cybersecurity Landscape?

Why is it so important to be aware of data exfiltration right now?

Data stealing malware has been responsible for a growing number of attacks. Malware like StealBit and SapphireStealer have been made available by malicious actors so that anyone can use them, regardless of their coding abilities.

What happens to stolen data?

Stolen data is often sold on the dark web — the parts of the Internet that aren’t accessible by standard browsers or search engines — by the bad actors who steal it. The dark web serves as a base of operations for cybercriminals, with stolen data and illicit services often traded on underground marketplaces. That data is then used to break into systems, extort victims, steal identities, and other criminal activities.

What is the impact of data exfiltration?

The average cost of a data breach is $4.45 million. This includes the cost of finding and remediating the breach, interruptions of operations, legal fees and other fines. However, $4.5 million is just the average; many industries experience higher costs, which can be devastating for small and midsize businesses. The cost also doesn’t necessarily take reputational damage into account; customers may not trust an organization with their data after a breach.