Data security is the fusion of policies, procedures and technologies that guard information from unauthorized access or manipulation. Data security is crucial for safeguarding valuable information, and ensuring it’s disposed of properly when an organization no longer requires it. It assists companies in meeting legal and compliance requirements such as GDPR, CCPA and HIPAA, and prevents costly lawsuits and reputational harm from malicious or accidental actions like employee negligence and ransomware.
Authentication is the process of authenticating a person before they can gain access to or manipulate data. This typically includes using passwords and PIN numbers, as well as biometrics, swipe cards and other methods to verify identities prior to allowing access. It is also important to keep track of all user actions and to establish controls to restrict who has access to data and/or share it, and to monitor and spot any suspicious or unusual behavior that could signal a breach.
Data classification allows organizations to organize and prioritize information according to its sensitivity. It is essential to recognize the types of data that you collect and only make use of what’s essential to your business’s needs and goals. It is also essential to establish a plan to recover data in the event of is a failure in the system, a natural disaster or data breach. This typically includes having full, differential and incremental backups of your most important data in physical locations that are separate from the original storage device and network.