Data Exfiltration
Data exfiltration, also known as data extrusion or data exportation is a type of data theft.
Updated: December 1, 2023
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Data exfiltration, also known as data extrusion or data exportation is a type of data theft in which malicious actors breach the security measures of a computer or server and export proprietary data from a computer or server without authorization.
Data can be stolen outside an organization or from within and both types of attacks can be disastrous. A number methods can be used by hackers to exfiltrate data. Phishing, Outbound emails, Insecure downloads and Unsecured assets are a few techniques they often implement to steal protected and/or sensitive data.
Compromised data and loss of confidence are impacts of data exfiltration. Unauthorized, Covert and Exploitative are basic elements of data exfiltration. Security professionals should remain up to date and continue to develop their skill sets through formal training and certifications in order to avoid data exfiltration since attackers are constantly evolving their strategies to avoid detection and evade consequences. Employees can be trained in an effective method for avoiding both accidental and intentional data exfiltration and data theft. Products designed for security awareness can be used by employees with the necessary skills to avoid inadvertent data exfiltration and to spot potential attacks through simulations. Endpoints, such as laptops, servers, and smartphones of company should be as secure as possible to prevent attacks since these are historically the weakest points in a security network of an organization.
Types of data exfiltration
- Email-Based Exfiltration
- File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Exfiltration
- Web-Based Exfiltration
- DNS Tunneling
- HTTP/HTTPS Exfiltration
- Covert Channels
- USB Exfiltration
- Cloud Storage Exfiltration
- Bluetooth Exfiltration
- Printed Document Exfiltration
- Steganography
- Voice Exfiltration