When cybercrime is at its peak, businesses turn to information security to protect their confidential data. Yet, certain types of vulnerabilities still appear, leaving cracks through which cyberthreats can infiltrate your network. To avoid becoming a cyberattack victim, it’s crucial to know and understand how to spot flaws within your information security structure. Together, let’s discuss the basics of information security and the types of vulnerabilities to watch out for within your organization.
Learn About the Six Types of Information Systems
Information Security Explained
Information security is the set of IT principles and policies detailing how businesses should protect all information from unauthorized access or activity. This process essentially combines data security with risk management processes, going beyond the network to ensure all assets—digital and physical—are protected from potential exposure. Often, this requires an organization to establish where data can be stored and shared, or who can access certain files. While it functions much like cybersecurity, what makes information security unique is that it helps protect all your business data—from data encryption, to managed endpoint detection and response, to even network security.
The Impact of Vulnerabilities
Though information security offers a wide range of data protection for your organization, many types of vulnerabilities still threaten this sense of safety. Within IT systems, vulnerabilities refer to weaknesses or flaws within a security system that hackers and internal threats can use to access your data. Once inside, these vulnerabilities open the door to malicious cyberattacks, allowing attackers to install malware, steal confidential data, or corrupt files.
Types of Vulnerabilities in Information Security
Vulnerabilities severely undermine information security if not identified and corrected. For this reason, it’s important to ensure your system is protected from potential data breaches. Though no system is completely shielded from hacking, here are some common types of vulnerabilities to check for within your information security system:
1. Hardware
Hardware vulnerabilities occur when unsecured or personal devices are used to connect to your company network. Any device—mobile phones, computers, tablets, or smartwatches—that lack proper security measures or encryption can act as portals for hackers to reach your files. To mitigate potential hardware vulnerabilities, require multi-factor authentication on all devices so that your information system can track user activity and encrypt files to certain IT personnel.
2. Software
Software vulnerabilities are all too common in information security. Frequently, companies lack the proper firewalls, regular updates, and quality programs to combat cyberthreats. Without current security software, gaps or bugs can appear in the system, letting criminals inside with little resistance. The best way to avoid such breaches is through a strong cybersecurity system and updated software.
No matter how strong your information security is, software vulnerabilities will always appear if routine updates and upgrades are not made.
3. Network
Network vulnerabilities occur in companies that have a weak, complex, or corrupted infrastructure. If your network is built with too many openings or is too complicated for your IT team to manage, then attackers can gain access and take data. These flaws can appear in your company website, storage system, or through an unprotected Wi-Fi connection. Businesses can reduce network exposure by activating tools such as end-to-end encryption that blocks spies from intercepting shared files or communications.
4. Human
Nothing disrupts information security more than vulnerabilities created by company personnel. Oftentimes, businesses won’t know of these internal threats until it’s too late, as monitoring individual activity across a wide network can be difficult. These network flaws occur when information security procedures aren’t followed, either due to employees being lazy, lacking training, using personal devices, or not practicing proper cyber hygiene when working. To prevent further exposure from human personnel activities, ensure regular training on how to spot cybersecurity threats and avoid them while online. This may include identifying phishing emails, gift card scams, or social engineering tactics by hackers.
Assess Your Security with Innovative Integration
Ensuring your and your clients’ data is secure takes top priority. Information security is the key to safeguarding all confidential information for your business but can be disturbed by various flaws in your business. Determine the quality and safety of your information security with Innovative’s Security Assessment service today!
