While HSBC’s database security breach was initially believed to be minor, it turns out that around 24,000 client records were actually stolen by one of the company’s former IT specialists. The reason this could happen? Poor accountability for IT super users. Database security experts say that financial organizations regularly make the same mistakes, things like shared passwords and allowing access to sensitive data without accountability or constraints.
Large organizations face challenges in securing sensitive data, but it must become a priority, with especial focus placed on super users for whom it is all too easy to abuse their privileges and compromise database security.