Posted On 01 Aug 2019

Crimes involving information systems are becoming more and more common and malicious actors are developing increasingly complex methods of getting their hands on our personal information.

It is more important than ever that you take serious steps to protect sensitive data via robust data security measures. But what exactly does that involve and what steps do you need to take to ensure the information you store is safe from prying eyes?

Here’s our lowdown on the data security best practices you can exploit today to ensure your information is stored in an effective and accessible way while also being protected against unauthorized access.

Data Security Best Practices

1) Data Encryption: Data encryption involves transforming key information into random data that cannot be read without an authorization key.

2) Data Masking: Data masking involves hiding specific information within a structured database to ensure that it remains confidential. For example, information in a database that contains user data, specific information, such as passwords, may be masked to secure the records and prevent authorized access from those with malicious intent.

3) Data Backups: Backing up data involves replicating a complete copy of the information on multiple devices. This ensures that the data can be retrieved in the event that it is lost from one device. It also helps to protect you from ransomware attacks.

4) Data Erasure: Data erasure involves deleting any sensitive data as soon as it is no longer needed to ensure that it cannot be accessed at a later date. This approach typically involves writing over any confidential information with random bytes.
Following this process, the data can no longer be read or recovered.
Modern data security practices should incorporate all four measures and apply them as and when required in accordance with the nature of the information involved and the risks that are inherent in the environment.

However, it’s important to note that the data security landscape is constantly evolving. Hackers are developing more and more sophisticated methods of getting their hands on sensitive data and, as such, security solutions need to adapt on a regular basis. For this reason, it is imperative that you choose an industry-leading security tools that are regularly updated to ensure full data security.