Information Security Incidents: Prevention Starts with Vulnerability Management

Information security incidents are far from isolated events. Every year, companies of all sizes face breaches that compromise sensitive data, cause financial losses, and damage customer trust. More than just a technical concern, these occurrences highlight the importance of proactive strategies, with vulnerability management serving as the first line of defense.

Threats can arise from software flaws, improper configurations, or careless use of systems and devices. When ignored, these vulnerabilities become open doors for hackers and fraudsters. Therefore, continuously and proactively monitoring and addressing these flaws should be a top priority for organizations.

In this article, we will detail how security incidents occur, why vulnerability management is essential, and which practices can help reduce exposure to digital risks. Keep reading!

What Are Information Security Incidents?

An information security incident is any event that compromises the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of data, systems, or digital resources. This includes malicious attacks, such as ransomware and phishing, as well as operational failures, such as misconfigurations or accidental unauthorized access.

It is important to highlight that threats do not only arise from external attacks; they can also result from internal errors, unreliable third parties, or even poorly implemented updates. As such, incidents stem from situations that expose the company to risks, requiring immediate cybersecurity action to mitigate potential damage.

In 2024, an average of 467,000 malicious files were detected daily by Kaspersky. According to the company, this represents a 14% increase compared to the previous year.

To address this challenge, companies must implement effective measures for managing security incidents. While there is no one-size-fits-all response plan, some fundamental actions must be coordinated to mitigate cyber risks. Here are the key steps:

• Identification: Recognizing the occurrence and assessing its scope to determine which systems or data have been affected.
• Containment: Isolating the issue to prevent it from spreading, restricting access to compromised resources.
• Eradication: Completely removing the vulnerability and any malicious code that may be active.
• Recovery: Restoring systems and data, ensuring all failures have been addressed and everything is functioning as expected.
• Post-Incident Analysis: Investigating the causes, evaluating the effectiveness of the actions taken, and adjusting security policies to prevent future incidents.

When well-structured and properly implemented, these steps form a cycle of best practices that strengthen a company’s cybersecurity resilience. The order of actions does not have to be strictly followed; what matters is establishing basic prevention and response mechanisms, such as regular updates and user awareness training.

Communication is a crucial factor that should be present in all stages. Automated notification tools enhance an organization’s ability to respond to incidents, speeding up problem resolution and minimizing negative impacts.For example, by implementing act digital’s solutions, one of Brazil’s largest telecommunications companies adopted an automated system for communicating security incidents, integrating the departments responsible for handling reports.

The implementation of this incident communication tool transformed the company's information procedures, completely eliminating phone-based alerts. Incident notifications are now transmitted directly between systems, significantly increasing process efficiency.

What Are the Most Common Security Incidents?

Understanding the most frequent types of security incidents is essential for directing prevention and response efforts. Although threats continuously evolve, some stand out due to their recurrence and impact:

• Phishing: A tactic that involves sending fraudulent emails or messages that mimic legitimate communications to deceive users into revealing confidential data (such as passwords, credit card details, and personal information).
• Ransomware: A type of malware that encrypts data, effectively "kidnapping" files and demanding a ransom for their release. It can critically disrupt operations, affecting entire systems.
• Brute Force Attacks: Automated attempts to guess passwords through successive combinations. The use of weak or repeated passwords is a key vulnerability exploited in these attacks.
• DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) Attacks: These attacks overwhelm servers or networks with massive amounts of traffic, causing instability or even complete service outages.
• Server and System Invasions: These involve exploiting software vulnerabilities, configuration flaws, or other security gaps to gain unauthorized access, often leading to data theft or corruption.
• Misuse of Credentials: Occurs when legitimate users, either carelessly or maliciously, provide excessive access privileges or share credentials, enabling unauthorized access.

What Are the Main Causes of Security Incidents?

Information security incidents can have various origins, ranging from internal failures to sophisticated attacks carried out by criminals. Understanding these causes is essential to reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen data protection. Below, we explore the main factors that lead to these incidents and the impacts they can generate.

Internal Causes

Many incidents result from errors within the organization itself. Here are the main factors:

• Human error: Accidental actions, such as sending data to the wrong recipients or using weak passwords.
• Negligence: Carelessness in handling sensitive information or failure to update systems.
• Lack of training: Lack of awareness about security best practices, making employees more vulnerable to threats like phishing.
• Absence of an information security culture: A work environment where collective awareness of data protection is lacking, encouraging risky behaviors and increasing exposure to threats.

External Causes

External threats are carried out by malicious actors who exploit vulnerabilities to compromise systems and steal data. The main risks include criminal actions such as:

• Malware: Malicious programs designed to infect devices and steal or encrypt information.
• Targeted attacks: Strategies like social engineering or system intrusions to gain unauthorized access.
• Exploitation of vulnerabilities: Software flaws or misconfigurations that allow automated attacks.

What Are the Impacts of a Security Incident?

Information security incidents can have severe consequences for businesses of all sizes. Besides financial losses, organizations may face legal penalties, reputational damage, and operational disruptions that affect business continuity.

Financial Impacts

The cost of a security incident can be high. Companies affected by cyberattacks often incur significant expenses, including:

• Fines and sanctions for non-compliance with regulations such as the General Data Protection Law (LGPD).
• Ransom payments (ransomware), if they choose to pay criminals to recover encrypted information.
• Revenue loss due to operational disruptions.
• Emergency investments in system recovery and security enhancement.

Legal Impacts

Information security is directly linked to regulatory compliance. The leakage of personal data or confidential information can lead to:

• Lawsuits filed by affected customers or partners.
• Penalties from regulatory authorities, especially in sectors dealing with sensitive data.
• Audit and compliance requirements to fix vulnerabilities and prevent future incidents.

Reputational Impacts

Public trust is one of the hardest assets to recover after a security incident. Major reputational damages include:

• Loss of credibility with customers, partners, and investors.
• Public relations crises, which can gain traction on social media and in the press.
• Brand devaluation, making the company less attractive in the market.

Operational Impacts

Beyond financial and reputational damages, incidents can disrupt business operations. Key operational risks include:

• System downtime, preventing essential business processes.
• Slow response times, delaying the recovery of operations.
• Loss of critical data, affecting everything from financial records to strategic information.

What Is Vulnerability Management and Why Is It Important?

Vulnerability management is an ongoing process that identifies, assesses, and remediates security flaws in systems, networks, and applications. Its goal is to maintain a secure environment, minimizing the risk of security incidents and reducing potential financial, legal, reputational, and operational impacts.

This process relies on continuous system analysis, identifying weak points, and prioritizing fixes. It involves tools and techniques such as automated scans, penetration testing, and continuous monitoring, always aligned with internal security policies.

The cycle mainly consists of identification, assessment, and remediation. Effective management requires the right tools and strategies to address each stage, ensuring the company can respond quickly to cyber risks.

The importance of vulnerability management lies in its preventive approach. By detecting and fixing vulnerabilities before they are exploited, organizations can avoid major security incidents and minimize operational disruptions. Moreover, the process supports regulatory compliance and enhances customer, partner, and investor confidence.

A comprehensive vulnerability management solution enables organizations to quickly detect threats and implement containment measures as soon as possible. This requires structuring essential processes, adopting effective tools, and aligning teams to work collaboratively.

act digital developed a complete solution for one of Brazil’s largest banks. The project involved:

• Identifying and prioritizing vulnerabilities.
• Mitigating risks through corrective actions.
• Implementing and verifying software patches.
• Continuous monitoring of security.
• Conducting security audits.

With structured processes and technologies, the financial institution improved its vulnerability remediation rate by 30%, making cybersecurity efforts more effective.

Tip: Best Practices to Prevent Security Incidents

Prevention is the best strategy to reduce risks and ensure data protection. Implementing information security best practices not only minimizes vulnerabilities but also strengthens the company's defensive posture against cyber threats. Here are the key measures to prevent security incidents:

Vulnerability Management

Identifying and fixing system flaws is essential to preventing security breaches. This process includes:

• Performing regular scans to detect vulnerabilities.
• Keeping software and systems updated, reducing the risk of exploiting known flaws.
• Prioritizing fixes based on the criticality level of each vulnerability.
• Implementing periodic security tests to ensure system resilience.

Security Policies and Employee Training

Information security depends not only on technology but also on people. Key actions include:

• Establishing and enforcing security policies that define rules for system usage and data protection.
• Regularly training employees, educating them on recognizing and preventing threats like phishing and social engineering.
• Restricting access based on the principle of least privilege, ensuring that each employee has only the permissions necessary for their role.

Monitoring Tools and Behavior Analysis

Using specialized technologies helps detect and respond quickly to suspicious activities. The choice of tools should be tailored to the organization’s needs. Commonly used solutions include:

• SIEM (Security Information and Event Management).
• UBA (User Behavior Analytics).
• EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response).
• SOC (Security Operations Center).
• Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS).
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions.

Additionally, basic measures should be reinforced, such as: smart backups, antivirus and firewalls, encryption tools, and password management software.

Contingency Plans and Incident Response

Even with preventive measures, incidents can still occur. Having a structured plan reduces impacts and accelerates recovery. Best practices include:

• Defining an incident response plan, detailing containment, mitigation, and recovery steps.
• Regularly testing the plan, ensuring the team knows how to respond in different scenarios.
• Maintaining up-to-date and securely stored backups, allowing for quick data restoration in case of an attack.

With the advancement of digitalization, information security incidents have become an increasing threat. In this context, investing in prevention and vulnerability management is essential to ensure continuous organizational protection.

Looking to strengthen your company’s cybersecurity resilience? Get in touch with our experts.