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Jun 7, 2024 12:47 PM
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👉 Overview
👀 What ?
Data exfiltration, also known as data extrusion, is the unauthorized transfer of data from a computer. It is a critical issue in a cybersecurity context where this data is often sensitive information including personal or proprietary business data.
🧐 Why ?
Understanding data exfiltration is vital because it is one of the primary goals of cyber threats. Cyber attackers employ various methods to acquire unauthorized access to an organization’s valuable data, which they might use for malicious purposes, such as identity theft, corporate espionage, or selling the data on the black market.
⛏️ How ?
To combat data exfiltration, organizations need to implement a multi-layered security approach that includes: educating employees about the dangers of phishing emails and other forms of social engineering; keeping all systems, software, and anti-virus definitions up-to-date; monitoring network traffic for unusual data transfers; and encrypting sensitive data.
⏳ When ?
Data exfiltration has been a concern ever since the advent of digital data storage. However, with the rise in the volume of data stored digitally and the sophistication of cyber threats, it has become an increasingly pressing concern for businesses and individuals alike.
⚙️ Technical Explanations
Data exfiltration can occur through various methods such as email attachments, cloud storage, FTP transfers, or even physical removal of data with USB drives. Once an attacker gains access to a network, they can employ a range of techniques to find and extract valuable data. These may include network sniffing, keylogging, or advanced persistent threats (APTs) where the attacker maintains a long-term presence in a network. The data is often encrypted before exfiltration to avoid detection by network security tools.