Data security is the safeguarding of digital and physical data against the unauthorized access or destruction. It is a requirement for all businesses as it ensures that personal data is accessible to authorized users, and is private, secure and untouched. It also helps prevent the loss of important information in the event of cyberattacks or data breach. A reliable data security program consists of a variety of tools that ensure these six best practices essential to a successful program:
Authentication is a must in any data security strategy. If your data is at storage or in transit you must confirm that only authorized users can access it using credentials (e.g., passwords, encryption keys) or other methods of identification like multi-factor authentication (MFA), which requires that the user produce more than one form of proof.
The company should be able to inventory the data it uses and be aware of the moment when sensitive data is in a particular condition, such as “at rest”, “in transit” or “in use”.
As data collection grows and data collection increases, it becomes difficult for companies to keep on top of all the sensitive information. It is important to adhere to the principle of least privilige which stipulates that only the information that users require to perform their duties must be made available. By decreasing the number of permissions, you can improve security and reduce storage and bandwidth costs. Finally, your data usage policy should specify the manner in which data is utilized and set repercussions for any policy violation.