General

In the world of cybersecurity, data breaches are the vampires of the digital realm. They lurk in the shadows, waiting to sink their teeth into your most personal information, leaving you exposed and vulnerable. Just as Halloween is a time for tales of the supernatural, it’s also an opportunity to shed light on the chilling consequences of data breaches and the ways your personal information can come back to bite you.

The Dark Allure of Personal Data

Hackers come for your personal data, like Dracula for blood. Your name, email, phone number, and even more sensitive information like financial details or healthcare records are valuable currency on the dark web. But what are the nefarious uses of this data?

Identity Theft: The most obvious danger is identity theft. Hackers can use your data to impersonate you, open accounts in your name, and commit financial fraud.

Stalking and Harassment: In the digital realm, hackers can exploit personal information for nefarious purposes such as stalking and harassment.

Ransomware Attacks: Cybercriminals may use your data to demand a ransom, threatening to expose or delete your sensitive information.

Hijacked Accounts: Your personal information can be leveraged to take over your online accounts, causing significant inconvenience and potential financial loss.

The Haunting Consequences of Data Breaches of Your Personal Information

Data breaches, much like a vampire’s bite, can leave lasting scars. They can result in severe financial, emotional, and even physical consequences:

Financial Loss: Stolen data can lead to financial ruin, as criminals siphon money from bank accounts, make unauthorized purchases, or commit fraud in your name.

Emotional Distress: Dealing with the aftermath of a data breach can be emotionally taxing. The violation of privacy and the fear of potential consequences can affect mental well-being.

Reputation Damage: Once your personal information is exposed, it’s challenging to regain your online reputation. Your data can be misused to tarnish your name and image.

Legal Complications: Data breaches can lead to legal issues, as victims seek compensation or companies face fines for failing to protect their customers’ information.

Defend Against Digital Vampires with DropSecure

To keep your personal information safe from the fangs of digital vampires, consider a reliable, secure file-sharing platform like DropSecure. Our encrypted file-sharing and storage solution fortifies your sensitive data, ensuring it remains hidden from prying eyes..

Here’s how DropSecure can help you:

End-to-End Encryption: Our end-to-end encryption is enabled using randomly generated AES 256-bit symmetric keys on your computer keeps your data safe, ensuring that only you and your intended recipient can access it.

Secure File Sharing: You can share files without fear, as DropSecure provides password-protected links and the ability to revoke access, just like a silver bullet for data security.

Monitoring and Control: Keep a vigilant eye on your shared files, ensuring that no unauthorized access occurs. Stay in control and monitor your communications. DropSecure offers activity tracking to give insights into who accesses your data and when.

Compliance Requirements: We meet global standards for data privacy and security. Your compliance needs are our priority, and we ensure that DropSecure aligns with regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, allowing organizations to work on sensitive data while maintaining compliance with data protection regulations.

This Halloween, as you embrace the thrill of spooky tales, remember that the chilling consequences of data breaches are all too real. Safeguard your personal information and protect yourself from the bite of digital vampires with endpoint security practices and a reliable tool like DropSecure.

Let’s fight off the digital darkness together and ensure that your data remains securely in your control, shielded from the vampires of the internet.

In an era defined by digital transformation and increasing reliance on data-driven decision-making, the need for a secure and efficient file-sharing and storage platform has become paramount for Government Institutions. As Government Agencies handle sensitive information and classified data, a trustworthy solution is essential to safeguard against cyber threats and ensure compliance with stringent data protection regulations. Enter DropSecure, the unrivaled file-sharing and storage platform tailored to meet the unique demands of the Government Sector. This blog post explores why DropSecure stands out as the best choice for secure data management in the Government landscape.

1. Military-Grade Security

Government Agencies deal with highly sensitive and confidential information, ranging from national security matters to users’ personal data. DropSecure employs state-of-the-art encryption based on randomly generated FIPS-140 validated AES 256-bit symmetric keys, generated fresh for every file version saved on the platform, to safeguard data at rest and in transit.
This level of security is similar to what is used by the military and ensures that only authorized personnel can access the information. Additionally, the two-factor authentication (2FA) option provides an extra layer of protection, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access.

2. Compliance and Regulatory Adherence

Adhering to various regulatory requirements is paramount for Government Organizations. DropSecure complies with industry standards and regulations such as CMMS, CJIS, FIPS, DFARS, GDPR, HIPAA and FEDRAMP, ensuring all data transfers and storage practices align with Government-mandated guidelines. This compliance mitigates potential legal risks and instils trust in citizens, stakeholders, and partners.

3. Granular Access Controls

The Government Sector often involves collaboration among various departments and agencies. DropSecure excels in providing granular access controls, allowing administrators to define specific user privileges and permissions. With this capability, Government officials can ensure that only authorized personnel can access specific files or folders, thereby reducing the risk of data breaches or leaks.

4. Complete Audit Trails

Transparency and accountability are vital in the Government Sector. DropSecure’s comprehensive audit trail feature allows administrators to track all file activities, including uploads and downloads. Detailed logs provide valuable insights into data access patterns, identifying suspicious activities and maintaining a record of compliance with internal protocols and regulatory requirements.

5. Reliable File Storage and Scalability

Government Agencies must store large volumes of data securely and reliably. DropSecure utilizes the AWS Government cloud infrastructure. Amazon built the AWS Government Cloud infrastructure to satisfy the security requirements of the military and Government Organizations. These organizations maintain sensitive personal and financial information of US Citizens, as well as, critical information pertaining to national security.

Moreover, the platform offers scalable storage options, allowing Government Organizations to adapt to their evolving data needs without compromising performance or security.

6. User-Friendly Interface

While security is paramount, usability and user-friendliness are also as important. DropSecure also boasts a user-friendly interface that simplifies the file-sharing and storage process for non-technical users. This intuitive design reduces the learning curve for employees and encourages widespread adoption within Government Agencies. In addition, all these agencies can access and share data remotely and effortlessly without compromising security or convenience.

Government Agencies must prioritize data security and privacy in an increasingly digital world. DropSecure emerges as a front-runner in the file sharing and storage landscape for the US Government Sector. With its military-grade security, regulatory compliance, granular access controls, audit trails, and user-friendly interface, DropSecure ensures that Government Organizations can share, store, and manage data confidently. By choosing DropSecure, Government Agencies take a a significant step towards enhancing their data protection practices and upholding public trust.

In today’s world, data is one of the most valuable assets for businesses. With the increasing prevalence of cyber threats, it has become more important than ever to take proactive measures to secure your data. Here are the top 10 ways to secure your data in 2023:

1. Use End-to-End Encryption

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a security measure that encrypts data in transit from one user to another, so that only the intended recipient can decrypt it. By using E2EE, you can ensure that your data is secure even if it is intercepted during transmission.

E2EE is different from ‘client-to-server’ (C2S) protection as C2S protection stores your data in its unencrypted form in the cloud servers, making it easily readable, in case the cloud is hacked.

On the other hand, with E2EE, data is stored on the cloud in an encrypted form and cannot be read even in the event of the cloud servers getting hacked. In E2EE, the data is encrypted (locked) locally on the sender’s device and gets decrypted (unlocked) only on the receiver’s device. This means that the data remains encrypted throughout the transfer process, thus ensuring complete safety.

2. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication/Two-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA)/ Two-factor Authentication is a security measure that requires users to provide more than one form of authentication before accessing sensitive data. MFA consists of a combination of a password and an OTP or a fingerprint scan or a facial recognition scan to access data secured.

A secure file collaboration platform, such as DropSecure, provides MFA even for unregistered users. So all links that are sent by email, to access the data shared, are secured such that only the intended recipient can access the data. At DropSecure, our preferred option for MFA is TOTP (Time-based OTP) Authenticator, especially, since no extra hardware is required to use it.

3. Use Secure File-Sharing and Storage Solutions with Zero Knowledge Transfers

Secure file-sharing solutions, like DropSecure, can protect your data during transit and at rest. These solutions use Zero Knowledge Encryption which scrambles your data into cipher text by using an encryption key that only you, and no one else, can have access to this data in its true form.

The data and files are broken down into smaller chunks and encrypted on your browser using AES-256-bit encryption before they are sent to the DropSecure servers.

4. Conduct Regular Security Audits

Regular security audits can help you identify vulnerabilities in your security infrastructure and take steps to address them. This can include penetration testing, vulnerability scans, and other security assessments. In addition, a cloud-based provider like DropSecure has an extensive audit and logging system that enables your company’s sanctioned security officers to keep track of all data shared and accessed.

5. Train Employees on Cybersecurity Best Practices

One of the biggest threats to data security is human error. Employees should be trained on cybersecurity best practices, including password management, phishing scams, and social engineering attacks. By educating your employees, you can help prevent security breaches caused by human error.

Employees should ideally stay updated on the latest regulations that are required to be complied with by the Government.

6. Use Antivirus and Antimalware Software

Antivirus and antimalware software can protect your systems from malware and other types of cyber threats. It is important to keep your antivirus and antimalware software up to date to ensure it is effective against the latest threats.

7. Secure Your Wi-Fi Network

Wi-Fi networks are a common entry point for cyber attackers. Make sure your Wi-Fi network is secured with a strong password and encryption to prevent unauthorized access.

8. Implement a Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan

Data loss can occur due to hardware failure, cyberattacks, or natural disasters. Implementing a backup and disaster recovery plan can help you quickly recover from data loss and minimize downtime. Choosing a Backup Plan with end-to-end encryption will ensure that even in the case of a hack, data stored on the cloud servers will be in its decrypted form.

9. Monitor Your Network for Suspicious Activity

Monitoring your network for suspicious activity can help you detect security breaches before they cause significant damage. This can be done using intrusion detection systems, firewalls, and other security monitoring tools.

10. Keep Your Software and Operating Systems Up to Date

Software and operating system updates often contain security patches that address vulnerabilities. It is important to keep your software and operating systems up to date to ensure that they are protected against the latest threats.

In conclusion, data security is an ongoing process that requires proactive measures to protect against cyber threats. By implementing these top 10 ways to secure your data in 2023, you can help ensure that your business is protected against the latest threats and minimize the risk of a security breach.

1. Always use a Zero-Knowledge Encrypted platform to share classified information

The overwhelming number of data breaches in the last couple of years, given the backdrop of the pandemic, has been due to the associated risk of not using end-to-end encryption when sharing and saving data. With Zero-Knowledge encryption, only you have access to your encryption keys, and most importantly the data is stored in its encrypted form from the client directly. This means that during the transfer, and then storage, the data is kept only in its encrypted form and cannot be decrypted even after the data is transferred and stored on the cloud.

2. Use 2-Step Verification when accessing contracts and sensitive data

2-Step Verification is a must have security feature and should be built into your data collaboration solution. This is an added layer of security which enables safe access to sensitive data from any device or location. The authentication process can be set up via email, phone or an authenticator app. It works on the principle of entering something you know (your password) and something you have (like your pin or code from the authenticator app).

3. Choose a provider that meets all Regulatory compliances

In today’s world, there are a number of rules and regulatory compliances that have been put in place to safeguard processes and strategies in organizations, as they endeavour to achieve their business goals. These regulatory compliance requirements are becoming more and more stringent as they are specifically designed towards ensuring data protection. They are finely nuanced and audit reports showing compliance to them builds client trust, credibility, as well as, improve profitability of the organizations.

4. Frequent and mandatory training programs for all employees as well as contractors

Cyber security awareness for every employee through training is absolutely essential to prevent and mitigate data security risks for the entire organization. The key to these programs is to keep them frequent so that users, employees and contractors are not overwhelmed with the information on cyber security hygiene practices, ability to identify and report phishing scams, as well as, awareness on the construct of social engineering attacks to be better prepared to fend them off.

5. Retire Vulnerable Legacy Technology

Legacy technology is more expensive to maintain and more exposed to cybersecurity risks as they age, especially when vendors stop issuing patches to fix vulnerabilities. To avoid exposure, government agencies should upgrade their technology, transition to secure cloud solution, and in general expedite the implementation of modern IT software.

The pressure of the pandemic has intensified the rise of cyber-attacks as organizations grapple with the issue of securing remote workplaces while conducting their businesses with efficiency. Which means remote workers are harder to secure while they share sensitive and crucial data on a regular basis exposing them to significant security risks. There is a rise in security breaches as cyber criminals grow more sophisticated and use social engineering, ransomware, malware and phishing to conduct these attacks. Here is a quick look at some of the scariest data breaches of 2022, so far.

1. Cash App Investing LLC

Number of individuals impacted: 8.2 million

A former employee of Cash App Investing launched the hack earlier this year – and it has turned out to be the largest data breach and cyber-debacle in 2022 so far.

As CNN reported in April: “More than 8 million Cash App Investing customers may have had personal data compromised after a former employee downloaded internal reports without permission, parent company Block Inc revealed. … Information in the reports accessed by the former employee included customers’ full names and brokerage account number, which is the personal identification number associated with a customers’ stock activity on the platform.”

2. Beetle Eye

Number of individuals impacted: 7 million

Beetle Eye, an online tool that helps marketers with their email marketing campaigns, experienced a major breach apparently caused by a misconfigured AWS S3 Bucket that was left without any encryption, according to a report at Data Breach Today.

Researchers at Website Planet first discovered the breach at the Sarasota, Fl.-based Beetle Eye, exposing sensitive data belonging to an estimated 7 million people.

3. FlexBooker

Number of individuals impacted: 3.75 million

In January 2022, FlexBooker, a cloud-based appointment management solution, revealed it had discovered a data breach that ultimately impacted more than three million people.

According to ZDNet, the Columbus, Ohio-based company said that some of its customer database had been breached after its AWS servers were compromised in late 2021 and that FlexBooker said its “system data storage was also accessed and downloaded” as part of the attack. The information obtained included partial credit card data, ZDNet reports.

4. Elephant Insurance Services LLC

Number of individuals impacted: 2.76 million

In May 22, Henrico, Va.-based Elephant Insurance Services reported that it had experienced a data breach and that it may have compromised the Personal Identifiable Information (PII) of customers seeking insurance policies.

After detecting “unusual activity on its network,” Elephant Insurance said it launched an immediate probe and determined that an intruder may have had access to information that included names, driver’s license numbers and dates of birth of people.

5. Lakeview Loan Servicing

Number of individuals impacted: 2.57 million

Florida-based Lakeview Loan Servicing LLC, the fourth largest loan-servicing company in the US had a data breach that reportedly affected more than 2.5 million consumers.

The breach, which led to the theft of highly sensitive customer information, occurred from October 27 through Dec. 7, 2021. The breach was discovered in January and publicly announced in March 2022. According to one lawsuit, some of the stolen data has been listed for sale on the “dark web,” according to a report at National Mortgage Professional.

Sources:
https://www.crn.com/news/security/the-10-biggest-data-breaches-of-2022-so-far-
https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/lakeview-loan-servicing-faces-multiple-lawsuits-over-data-breach
https://www.classaction.org/news/class-action-elephant-apparent-insurance-company-data-breach-exposed-info-of-more-than-2.7-million-consumers#:~:text=Elephant%20Insurance%20Company%20and%20subsidiary,reportedly%20exposed%20to%20unauthorized%20access.

In today’s times, data is critical to business operations. We see more and more data generated in every sector and business. Thereby, we have become the owners of this data with the responsibility to protect it.

For example, CPAs and other financial organizations share personal financial information on a daily basis and it is the core of their operations.  Transit of this sensitive data is prone to breaches and hence vulnerable to ransomware and other cyber-attacks, when not shared with the right security blanket. Savvy organizations choose the right security partner by making sure they use the right cyber security technology and are compliance driven.

Not all encryption is created equal

Many companies promise privacy of data shared simply by advertising encryption as part of their technology. The question to ask here is, “Are all encryptions created equal and secure?” The answer is no. Awareness and education to security technology is key to making the right choice when choosing the platform to share sensitive data.

Basic encryption offered is like leaving your key in the door. Though it may seem that there is a lock to protect your valuables, if the key is available to just about anyone and everyone, is it really protecting your valuables?

Popular cloud storage and file share platforms, claim security and complete privacy of data. In most of these services, the encryption terminates when it reaches that cloud and thereby all the sensitive information is in clear text on the cloud and can be deciphered, making the data vulnerable. The information is easily available to the cloud security providers themselves, and to any attacks that may occur.

For many of them, when the data is stored on their servers it is encrypted. But if someone requests the data, it is decrypted on the server before they can send, so the decryption happens on the server as well. This hugely compromises and violates the safety that encryption promises.

How and what is Zero knowledge encryption?

Though under the hood Zero Knowledge encryption has public and private keys to ensure complete privacy, it can simply be understood as a technology that supports end-to-end encryption even on the cloud. Hence, no one has access to the information in transit and at rest. At no point of time in the entire flow of data, is the information ever decrypted. Even the security partner using Zero Knowledge technology cannot decipher the data at any point of transit, so only you and the intended party will have access to the data.

Prevention is better than cure

A critical reason why firms should invest in secure file transfer solutions is because it is far better to spend the money necessary to prevent a data breach than to pay for the consequences of these events.
Data breaches and statistics show how companies spend thousands and millions of dollars on recovering from data breaches. Choosing the right security partner can prevent these costs without compromising on a great file sharing experience.

Peace of Mind

Having a reliable service that has your back with sensitive data can give you peace of mind that allows you to focus on decisions and work that actually matter to your company’s growth.
Needless to say, data in the wrong hands can do damage to identity and company causing financial and emotional turmoil.

DropSecure offers a secure file share and data collaboration platform using zero knowledge with end-to-end encryption. It offers security features that are built into the application from ground up, giving you the reins to control your sensitive information. Some of these features are, granular access controls, roles and permissions, 2-Step Verification, extensive audits and logs, secure file vault protection and secure link.

Do you notice the risks you take every day with data? Most of us don’t. And with good reason – we’re not given much of an option to insist on data privacy. If you’re really privacy-savvy, you’ve probably adjusted browser and cookie settings or steer clear of sharing personal information online or via email. Unbeknownst to most however, the information and attachments we share personally and at work are almost never private.

That’s why Data Privacy Week is more important than ever.  Awareness is planting the seed for digital privacy behaviours and future standards for all data. At DropSecure, data privacy is the reason we exist; naturally, we’re committed at all levels to data privacy.

Privacy matters

Data privacy is about how information is protected relative to its importance. Personally identifiable information (PII), health data, and financial details are the holy grail of individual privacy.  For businesses, data that is core to privacy extends further to include information about employees, customers, prospects, and includes operational and financial information.

Why is data privacy so hard?

The reality is that the sharing and ease of access to information is the lifeblood of our digital economy. Over the past decades, the means to share data increased disproportionately quickly and broadly compared to privacy safeguards.  Platforms that enable us to share data – everything from your web browser to email to search engines, social media, and digital payment processing – are the foundation of the digital acceleration and mobility for individuals, businesses, governments, and beyond.

Awareness is half the battle

Statistics on identify theft and fraud are concerning, with research showing a sharp increase in 2020 in complaints of individual ID theft and fraud.  Businesses face even steeper risks and constant threats.  In fact, a lack of privacy is the status quo today rather than the other way around.

Changing the privacy status quo

For most, data privacy is a matter of policy; for us it is who we are. We believe that privacy is a fundamental human right. It is our mission to not only protect but empower the right to keep data secure and private at all times.

DropSecure Data Privacy Pledge

We uphold three promises to our customers:

1. Zero Knowledge: No one, not even DropSecure, can ever access the content of the data shared through our platform
2. Encryption: Ensure customer data is protected with military-grade encryption
3. Privacy: Customer information is private at all times. We never sell customer data.

“Our customers trust DropSecure to share personal data and documents with others via our platform. At DropSecure, we take this responsibility very seriously. Keeping this data secure and private is everything we do. We exist to protect the privacy of our customers and we will continue to do so.”
– Amish Gandhi, CEO, DropSecure.

Way beyond basic compliance

At DropSecure security and privacy are of primary importance. We have extensive experience in safeguarding personal data and helping our customers, that must comply with the highest standards of security (e.g., governments, universities, healthcare organizations, other public authorities, and organizations, such as financial institutions), not only to meet their legal obligations but go beyond to secure data privacy.

Privacy principles and data protection protocols are basic ingredients embedded in the design and architecture of our solutions, technology infrastructure, and business practices. Compliance, risk management, and information security work closely will all areas of the business. We deploy internal audits to regularly tests design and operations to ensure personal data is effectively safeguarded.

Start sharing your data safely

• See how easy sharing files can be without compromising data privacy with a free trial
• Read more about DropSecure and how to protect your business data and ensure shared data remains private

Research Source: https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-identity-theft-and-cybercrime

It is believed that approximately one-third (30%) of a person’s life is spent working. While many career and financial goals are achieved during this time, many significant and personal milestones are also crossed as an ‘employee’. The first job, the first house, wedding, children, health, retirement and sometimes even bereavement!

This shows just how much personal information is held by HR departments, not just during an individual’s duration of employment but even after they have left the organisation.

Apart from basic information like name, email, date of birth, residential address, etc., HR departments hold complete dossiers on their employees. Salary, benefits, conditions of employment, sickness, absenteeism, pregnancy, adoption, gender associations, disciplinary and grievances issues, pension, retirement benefits, IRS data, criminal convictions…the list goes on.

Hacking into such a database could be a dream-come-true for data thieves.

Indeed, not all information is held all the time. New regulations guide HR managers in managing this data effectively and responsibly. These guidelines are only getting better and more stringent.

That said, employers and specifically HR managers cannot ignore the weight of the responsibility they carry, nor can they ignore the risk posed by data breaches. Seemingly secure organisations such as the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) also fell prey to hackers who targeted approximately 22.1 million personnel records of government employees.

The risks and responsibilities have only further intensified post Covid. With remote recruitment becoming the order of the day, recruitment documents like CV, application forms etc., and new starter documentation such as Form I-9, photographs, passport copies, employment authorisation cards etc., are being freely exchanged over insecure platforms like emails, chat applications and image sharing portals. Other highly confidential and sensitive information generated throughout the employee lifecycle, such as sickness data, family matters, disciplinary and grievances issues, pension details, etc., are also exchanged in the same insecure manner.

According to ‘Latest Hacking News’, an ethical hacking portal, employees whose data gets stolen due to employer negligence could be eligible to sue the employer. Data Breach Notification Laws for each state stipulate in great detail, the steps to be taken in case of a breach. It is anyone’s guess that the costs involved, the loss of reputation and the administrative burden is a rabbit hole that is difficult to come out of. And certainly, one to avoid!

A pro-active and systematic approach towards avoiding this risk rather than taking corrective knee-jerk reactions after the damage has been done is clearly a better option.

DropSecure is one such platform that uses military-grade, multidimensional and dynamic encryption methods to safeguard data.

DropSecure uses randomly generated AES 256 bit symmetric keys for securing data transfer. This ensures that data shared between you and your employee/colleague via DropSecure leaves devices fully encrypted and secured. A two-factor identification process is then used before issuing a decryption key/OTP to the intended recipient before it can be accessed. The File Vault Protection option can further safeguard any data saved by users on DropSecure servers by using ‘public key cryptography’.

Such features make DropSecure particularly suitable to exchange new starter information with zero risk.

What makes DropSecure different and better than other encryption platforms is that it requires no software installations and needs no passwords. What’s more, managers can set expiration dates, control and revoke access on files and folders, thereby ensuring that data is held only by the rightful owners and disposed of when the need is fulfilled. A remarkable feature when dealing with HR case work.

Zero Knowledge transfer further ensures that DropSecure themselves have absolutely no access to client information.

So really, no data is ever lost; and certainly, never found in the wrong hands.

With simple pricing solutions and FINRA, SEC and HIPPA compliance, DropSecure provides stress-free solutions for effectively safeguarding data while ensuring legal compliance.

DropSecure’s mission is to simplify your communication and sharing needs without knowing the contents of your data. To that extent, you can rest assured that your data is in your control.

Get secure with DropSecure cyber security’s 7-day free trial today.

In the cybersecurity world, one of the biggest challenges is technology adoption. The degree of adoption is directly proportional to the level of ease of use and required amount of business functionality. This is why some of the highly secure products have failed because either they lack the functionality or they are too clunky to use.

We, at DropSecure, believe that to create a useful SaaS product, the product team needs to strike the right balance among three main elements – Security, Functionality and Usability. In most cases, there is a trade-off among these three elements.

In the last decade, often the product is developed to provide a set of functionalities then the functionalities are optimised to achieve ease of use and then a security layer is applied like sprinkles on  cake!

Now the product is created, let’s secure it!’ This old-school approach has been disastrous for many players in the file share and cloud storage industry.

Some of the big players from last decades are struggling to offer adequate security on their product offerings mainly because security has always been an afterthought in their product design approach. They are finding it extremely difficult now to secure the whole bouquet of features (arguably many of them are completely unnecessary). No wonder why their security gets breached so often.

In fact, many of them  are now forced to partner with other security solutions but many security experts believe that it’s more of a patch work and such combinations fail to provide a comprehensive security protection. In contrast, DropSecure was conceived with these three elements right in the centre of the development process. Therefore, in our case, security is not an afterthought – it is the product!

It’s important to understand the holy triad of product development.

A triangle can be used to help explain the relationship between the concepts of security, functionality and usability – because there is an inter dependency between the three attributes. An increase or decrease in any one of the factors will have an impact on the other two.

Functionality

It can be defined as one or all of the operations that a software program is able to perform. It’s a known fact that increasing the number of functionalities in an application will also increase the surface area that a hacker can attack when trying to find an exploitable weakness. Therefore, when an application has too many functionalities, the level of security should always be questioned.

Usability

It can be defined as the degree to which something is able or fit to be used. The trade-off between security and usability is a common challenge in the real world, and often causes friction between users and those responsible for maintaining security. Especially, when security is an afterthought. Clunky products are often the outcome of such trade-offs.

Security

It can be defined as all the measures that are taken to protect a system, application or a device as well as ensuring that only people with permission to access them are able to.

A study of users from IT-companies and banks found that while users state to be motivated and knowledgeable about security, many did not perform individual action. They considered security measures to be impediments to work. Also, requirements of expected security behaviour and awareness campaigns had little effect on user behaviour.

But weakening security to improve functionality and usability will lead any systems to be vulnerable to attack so there needs to be a way to maintain ease of usability and functionality without compromising security.

The DropSecure Approach

From the conception, we knew that to be truly effective, security needs to be built-in from the ground up. Therefore, DropSecure is built with Secure by Default philosophy. Secure by Default is about taking a holistic approach to solving security problems at root cause rather than treating the symptoms. DropSecure is powered by Zero Knowledge Encryption – this technology makes every single interaction secure by default.  You can read more about The Power of Zero Knowledge Encryption here.

At DropSecure, we believe that a user should never have to compromise on security or ease of use. A collaborative tool must deliver on both of these promises.  Our awards, industry recognitions, and customer reviews are the testimony to the fact that DropSecure is designed with customer needs at the centre of everything.  

In terms of functionality, we accept that we may not have every collaboration feature that some of the cloud service providers offer but then for us the choice was clear – security over bells and whistles.  We are glad to see that many organizations have prioritized security over elaborate features. That’s precisely the reason why they are embracing DropSecure and giving us the highest ratings possible.

If you haven’t already, take our free trial today and experience the combination of security, functionality and ease of DropSecure usage today!

The term “Zero-Knowledge Encryption” is increasingly becoming synonymous with a complete insurance on your data privacy.

Zero-Knowledge Encryption means that no one except you (not even the service provider) can access your secured data. 

This is a crucial point – even with totally encrypted files, if the server has access to the keys, a centralised hacker attack can cause an unrecoverable data breach. Other service providers who only rely on in-transit and at-rest encryption are making files and passwords vulnerable to potential data breaches due to server-side decryption processes.

However, in the case of DropSecure, there is no point in time when passwords, encryption keys or unencrypted files are visible to unauthorized users – even to DropSecure servers.

Most cloud collaboration providers sacrifice security for collaboration features. In order to provide elaborate features, they have to decrypt your documents on the servers and read them. It’s literally like your postman reading all your letters before delivering them! In contrast, zero-knowledge solutions like DropSecure know nothing about the content and it’s virtually impossible for anyone to access them apart from you.

With DropSecure’s zero-knowledge encryption, your data will not be compromised even if our super secure databases ever get breached. Attackers won’t be able to read any encrypted data — or get their hands on your password for decryption. After all, even we don’t have it!

Zero-knowledge encryption also protects your stored data on DropSecure. When we backup your data on our servers, it’s already encrypted. There is absolutely on way for us or any potential intruder to know what you’re storing in DropSecure folders.

Before concluding let’s make a round up of the pros and cons of Zero-Knowledge Encryption.

Advantages:

• Total control over your files: your files will not only be encrypted, but also stored in a flexible and super secure cloud. Therefore, you can access it from any device at any time.
• Data cannot be accessed by the service provider: If nobody can access your data, you don’t even need to trust your provider. It’s not about trust, it’s about maths.
• Virtually unhackable: Even the harshest hacker attacks cannot compromise the privacy of your data. The only thing that they get is a load of gibberish!
• Compliance: Because of the ‘Zero Knowledge Encryption’, such platforms are by default compliant to many industry regulations.

Disadvantage:

• Password reset:  due to the Zero Knowledge Encryption solution, such services do not store your passwords. Therefore, if you forget your password, there is no way for service provider to reset your password. This is why at DropSecure, we recommend enterprise users to have two super admins on the account so if you forget your password, the other super admin can reset it.

At DropSecure, we firmly believe that Zero-Knowledge Encryption is the safest way to store and share sensitive documents via cloud. DropSecure is a leading Zero-Knowledge Encryption solution trusted by numerous companies and institutions across world. If you haven’t tried it yet, take a free trial now and give this military grade encryption a test drive today!

“Reputation, reputation, reputation! O! I have lost my reputation. I have lost the immortal part of myself and what remains is bestial. ”  – William Shakespeare, Othello

A positive brand equity is one of the most valuable assets an organization can possess. Cyber breaches have a direct and in many cases, a colossal impact on brand equity. Customer trust in cybersecurity can be vital in some industries such as, banking, accounting, real estate, healthcare, HR, etc.
However, not enough organizations are attempting to gain customer confidence through marketing their cybersecurity and are missing out on a massive opportunity. After all, cybersecurity can offer a crucial competitive advantage especially when adequately advertised.

The past two decades have witnessed a sharp increase in cybersecurity attacks on businesses and internet advertising. In a recent survey by Proofpoint, about 2,400 out of 3,600 surveyed companies and organizations faced ransomware attacks in 2020, with 52% paying the attackers in order to restore data access. A report of IBM Security suggests that on average, breaches now cost organizations $3.86 million per attack. An excellent article from Toptal illustrates the cost of security breaches. These are measurable costs, what about the intangible costs to a brand caused by these data breaches?

Data breaches can have a staggering effect on the brand equity causing both direct and indirect costs such as a damaged reputation and weaker levels of customer trust.

Recent research suggests that organizations suffering cybersecurity breaches are associated with more canceled trademarks, fewer trademark registrations, and fewer trademark citations – all pointing to weakened brand capital.

A cyber breach can also have an effect on corporate stock prices, impacting not only the company, but the investors that help that company grow.

Comparitech analyzed 28 companies that had experienced data breaches to determine the impact on stock prices. Some of their key findings include:

• Share prices of breached companies hit a low point approximately 14 market days following a breach. Share prices fall 7.27% on average, and underperform the NASDAQ by -4.18%.
• Finance and payment companies saw the largest drop in share price performance following a breach.
• Breaches that leak highly sensitive information like credit card and social security numbers see larger drops in share price performance on average than companies that leak less sensitive info.

We know that data breaches have negative impact on brand equity. But do cybersecurity measures have a positive impact on the brand?  It turns out, they certainly do:

87% of the CEOs say they are investing in cybersecurity to build trust with their customers “

– PwC – 21st CEO survey

A  cyber security report from Vodafone, Cyber Security: The Innovation Accelerator, highlights a strong link between how cyber security is used and successful business, with 86% of high-growth companies seeing information security as an enabler of new business opportunities, rather than simply a means of defence.

The research showed a number of perceived benefits that strong cyber security can bring to the relationship between an organisation and its customers:

• 89% of businesses said that improving cyber security would enhance customer loyalty and trust, thus improving overall brand equity.
• 90% said it would enhance their reputation in the market, potentially attracting new customers.
• 89% said they felt better information security was a competitive differentiator that would help them win customers.

Cyber security is certainly an important component to brand equity. After all, brand equity reflects the trust customers have in the company. Hopefully, we should see more organizations firstly adopting and applying cybersecurity best practices across organization and secondly, using cybersecurity promise in their marketing campaigns to enhance overall brand equity.

Fraudsters see these forms very differently than you and I.

Seemingly common and simple information like names, addresses, social security numbers, etc., become gateways for identity thieves to enter private lives of unsuspecting victims. The ensuing disruption, loss and stress can affect people and businesses in disproportionate ways.

A Harris Poll research for the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) revealed that “three in five Americans (60%) believe it is likely that identity theft will cause them a financial loss in the next year”.

Javelin go so far as to say that “financial institutions’ methods to identify and respond to fraud are no match for criminals’ high-tech schemes to hijack consumer accounts. Fraud losses…in 2019 resulted in consumers facing $3.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs …as criminals shifted their focus from card fraud to opening and taking over accounts”.

Now, opening and taking over bank accounts requires a whole repertoire of personal information which is normally not easily available to thieves. Yet, a single hack into a CPA’s database might hit them a jackpot! Every piece of information required to ‘open and take- over bank accounts’ of hundreds of unsuspecting victims is presented to them on a platter. Stolen identities and information can and is often used to commit a host of other crimes. Don’t let your business be that jackpot!

Most taxpayers now file returns online. Relevant paperwork and data are freely shared via personal emails, text messages and images via multiple platforms. While this digital transformation has greatly improved speed and efficiency for tax-payers, tax professionals and the IRS, it has inadvertently also opened up gaping chasms for data breaches.

Rule 1.700.001 of the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct (AICPA Code), Confidential Client Information Rule (the Rule), stipulates that public practitioners shall not disclose any confidential client information without the client’s specific consent. And where there is an unauthorised breach, the processes and procedures that were in place will be considered… and where applicable, criminal penalties may apply for negligence in safeguarding taxpayer’s information.

The consequences of a single unfortunate breach are much too grave to be ignored. Not to mention the reputational risk that can shatter the hard-earned goodwill earned by businesses. And reputational loss, especially for small and medium size businesses, is nearly impossible to revive!

Luckily, advancement in technology now provides safe and easy solutions to avoid this risk in the form of data encryption, which is the process of encoding information by converting it into an alternative and uncompromisable form known as ciphertext.

DropSecure is one such platform that uses military-grade, multidimensional and dynamic encryption methods to safeguard data.

DropSecure uses randomly generated AES 256 bit symmetric keys for securing data transfer. This ensures that data shared between you and your client via DropSecure leaves devices fully encrypted and secured. A two-factor identification process is then used before issuing a decryption key/OPT to the intended recipient before it can be accessed. The File Vault Protection option can further safeguard any data saved by users on DropSecure servers by using ‘public key cryptography’.

What makes DropSecure different and better than other encryption platforms is that it requires no software installations and needs no passwords. What’s more, managers can set expiration dates, control and revoke access on files and folders, thereby ensuring that data is held only by the rightful owners and disposed of when the need is fulfilled. Zero Knowledge transfer further ensures that DropSecure themselves have absolutely no access to client information.

So really, no data is ever found in the wrong hands; and certainly, never lost.

With simple pricing solutions and FINRA, SEC and HIPPA compliance, DropSecure provides stress-free solutions for effectively safeguarding data while ensuring legal compliance

DropSecure’s mission is to simplify your communication and sharing needs without knowing the contents of your data. To that extent, you can rest assured that your data is in your control.

Get secure with DropSecure cyber security’s 7-day free trial today.