Data Breaches Cost Millions – Have You Tested Your Data Protection Program?

Most companies have taken a very serious approach to developing and maintaining their data protection program in order to mitigate their compliance risks. However, there is one step that many have not addressed thoroughly – testing. Simply implementing controls is of limited value if you do not test them to make sure they are working as needed. Technical elements, like firewalls, intrusion detection systems, user authentication systems, and software integrity, are often subjected to penetration testing and red teaming. But operational and procedural elements, like incident investigation and response, data hygiene and minimization, access authorization and modification, and system backup and recovery, frequently go unevaluated. This allows unknown weaknesses to fester and unforeseen dependencies to become entrenched.