Keep confidential data safe from theft and other vulnerabilities it is an important task. Nowadays, there are many ways that information can become vulnerable.
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Inclusive Taking all the precautions that may seem essential with this sensitive data, there are still many ways in which that information can reach another person. or to another company's management system to make yourself vulnerable to data loss or theft.
To get a better idea of the current situation of the sensitive data protection and how you can avoid data loss, let's see some of the most important Mistakes to Avoid When Trying to Protect Sensitive Data.
Responsibility for the protection of sensitive data
Are there data classification policies in the organization? Is there some kind of control to ensure that all categories of data are managed correctly?
Good government-enforced data management ensures data security. One of the ways you do it is Facilitate that each data set with personal information is classified as “sensitive information"Y, therefore, allow certain actions to be taken, manual or automated, as the encryption or masking.
At the same time of data administration or governance problems, there is an important cultural component. At the end of the day, as a last resort, the protection of sensitive data is, habitually, in the hands of the end user, it is because of that:
- Personnel must be trained and instructed so that all business users understand the sensitivity of the data they work with and the relevance of their diligence in keeping it secure. Not using the same password for different applications or reinforcing the passwords that are used are some of the measures that should be taken care of.
- Access policies and authorization designation must be supplemented by appropriate security instructions. to ensure that, as an example, a user authorized to work with sensitive information do not download them to a personal laptop or any other type of unsafe device.
A security breach has serious consequences, not only because of the data that is lost, but because, through that information, all kinds of fraud and illegal actions can be committed, starting with the identity theft.
The relevance of strengthening the protection of sensitive data
There are alternatives to increase the level of information security in the company. The sensitive information are most effectively protected when the following actions are taken in connection with:
- Classification: prioritizing the protection of the most critical information and protecting access to confidential data is vital. Classifying information assets based on sensitivity is essential to understand the specific needs of each group and act accordingly..
- Access: You need to restrict access to confidential data if you want to avoid compromising sensitive information. Thus, non-sensitive assets may be freely accessible or have less controlled access and the most private or personal data, that could pose a risk if your safety is compromised; they would have to be linked to a system of authorizations and access restrictions.
- Environment: the inappropriate use of the cloud it is as dangerous as saving data to an unknown user's computer. To avoid losing control, the information may need to be encrypted before moving to the cloud. At the same time, if it is believed that it may be necessary to have to share keys with the cloud service provider, it will be necessary have clear security policies in advance.
Understand the assets to protect and their differences with other types of information and create a strategy. Ensuring that adequate levels of security are achieved is the only approach that ensures confidential data is safe from threats.
