Data Security

In the same way an organization takes care of its employees, customers, and finances, it also needs to ensure its sensitive data is well protected. Data security is mandated by regulations such as HIPAA, SOX, and GDPR and to ensure compliance, organizations have a duty to safeguard data privacy by preventing unauthorized access.

In theory, the principle behind data security sounds relatively simple. In practice, data security presents a major challenge for organizations, especially when you consider the large volumes and different types of data generated, stored, sent, and received on a daily basis, and the complexity of today’s hybrid IT environments.

What is Data Security?

Data security is the practice of identifying and protecting sensitive data, and ensuring it remains secure throughout its lifecycle. The data that requires protection is dependent on the compliance regulation or standard that governs the organization – this could be by:

• Industry, such as the Protected Healthcare Information (PHI) privacy rule, or by
• Data type, such as Payment Card Information (PCI) or Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Data security solutions facilitate the proper handling of this data, helping organizations achieve and maintain compliance through the management and control of data at rest, in use, and in motion.

Data security is both a mindset and a coordinated, concrete set of efforts and software solutions deployed throughout an organization designed to comprehensively protect data transmitted each day at all stages of its journey.

For comprehensive data security, organizations need to add a layer of protection so that each stage of data is protected throughout its journey for end-to-end security.

Ideally, your data security position should include solutions that can understand and classify your data, detect and prevent leaks, and secure and protect data both at rest and in motion.

Read more: What is Data Security?

Data privacy, at its most basic, is defined as the appropriate use of data. When data is entrusted to an organization it is to be used only according to the purposes agreed upon.

Data privacy and protection laws are becoming increasingly more commonplace across the US, with different states introducing new regulations. Ensuring data privacy is prioritized at your organization can help prevent misuse that can result in substantial financial and reputational costs.

Incorporating data protection solutions enterprise-wide can provide the layered security needed to ensure data privacy and protection policies enacted can be carried out.

Data security is a must for any organization, but how do data security solutions work? Data security solutions help organizations know what data they have, where it lives, how it is shared, and who has access to it. In a nutshell, data security solutions work by providing visibility and security at the same time.

Data security solutions not only focus on preventing malicious or accidental access to data they also focus on protecting the data (and even the hidden metadata) that can contain sensitive information.

Modern solutions can utilize cloud-based applications and operate within a hybrid IT environment. Robust solutions can secure data no matter where it resides or how it gets from point A to point B, minimizing internal and external threats.

Watch the webinar >