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Data Exfiltration

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[Cyber Security Terms](/glossary)

# Data Exfiltration

##### [Edward Kost](/team/edward-kost)

updated Nov 28, 2021

###### Contents

## What is Data Exfiltration

Data exfiltration, in the context of a cyberattack, is the malicious transfer of sensitive information from a compromised system to remote cybercriminal servers.

## Key takeaways

* Data theft is of greater security severity than a data breach because accessed data is already in transit.
* To prevent data exfiltration, malicious access must be intercepted before privilege escalation at the latest.
* Next-generation firewalls, an SIEM, and a Zero Trust Architecture could prevent data exfiltration.
*
*

###### Reviewed by

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###### Author

##### [Edward Kost](/team/edward-kost)

###### Reviewed by

##### [Kaushik Sen](/team/kaushik-sen)

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