Metomic released its top five data security tips for international travelers. According to IDC Research, global market intelligence, data, and events provider, "The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, also known as Paris 2024, will see the largest number of threats, the most complex threat landscape, the largest ecosystem of threat actors, and the highest degree of ease for threat actors to execute attacks."  

Metomic's own research found that an alarming 40% of Google Drive files contained sensitive data that could put an organization at risk of a data breach. 

"Today's cloud-based work environments enable employees to be productive regardless of where they are-in a traditional office, at home, on the road, even waiting to watch the world's top athletes compete. But these elevated levels of flexibility and remote workspaces have ushered in new levels of data security threats, especially when you add a major, global event to the mix that creates heightened data security risks," said Rich Vibert, CEO and co-founder, Metomic. 

"Employees should be the first line of defense against a data breach," states Vibert. "Data security is best approached as a shared responsibility between the security team and the rest of the business' workforce. When your entire organization is part of your cybersecurity strategy, your workforce serves as a human firewall. It's crucial that security leaders educate employees outside of the security team, showing them how to recognize threats and avoid sensitive data leaks, while also giving them the tools to remediate risks in real-time. Not only does it minimize cybersecurity threats, it increases efficiencies and drives productivity across the entire organization."

Metomic's Top 5 Data Security Tips for International Travelers

#1: Implement Data Encryption Across Work Platforms and Communication Apps: Ensuring all data is encrypted across all platforms and devices minimizes data breach risks by adding a robust layer of security. Encryption transforms data into a secure format that can only be accessed by authorized parties with the correct decryption key, making it extremely difficult for cybercriminals to intercept and decipher sensitive information. 

#2: Increase Monitoring and Alerts: Large, global events that draw massive crowds create prime opportunities for cybercriminals to infiltrate systems and networks, leading to massive spikes in cyber threats. During such times, it's imperative that security leaders implement advanced monitoring tools to detect and respond to suspicious activities in real-time. 

#3: Establish policies around public wifi use and public charging stations: Public wifi networks and charging stations are fertile ground for targeted attacks by cybercriminals. It's crucial that employees are aware of these risks. With employees potentially accessing networks remotely, ensure secure remote access to your organization's networks and systems through VPNs and multi-factor authentication.

#4: Update Security Protocols: Keeping employee devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.) updated is a simple, but often overlooked data security tactic. Ensure all security software and protocols are up-to-date to defend against the latest threats. This includes updating everything from firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection systems to operating systems and all apps an employee may have downloaded to their mobile device.

#5: Make cybersecurity awareness part of your company's culture: Training employees across all departments and at all levels on best practices for avoiding data security risks is the foundation of a solid cybersecurity strategy. Implementing a cybersecurity platform that enables all employees to act as a human firewall against cybercriminals creates an additional, and much needed, layer of security-especially with remote workforces. 

By implementing these five data security tactics, businesses can better protect their networks and systems and increase their data security efforts during the heightened activity surrounding major global events.