What is Data Security? Data Security Definition and Overview

Investing asked efforts in data security implementation is not going to be wasted because carefully implemented data security policies are bound to deliver laudable benefits that include:

1. Protecting key information

When you have enough attention to data security and use advanced tools, the sensitive data under your possession won’t be safe and risk-free. You will have full control over data usage, storage, and sharing and can adopt powerful security practices according to the need of the hour.

2. Dependable brand image

When you know that you’re equipped to protect sensitive data, you can confidently project yourself as a dependable service provider. Less reported data breaches with your brand directly mean better brand value and more trust of customers.

3. Stand out of the crowd

Customers have ample choices to make. If they feel uncomfortable with one brand or do not find its services worth investing in, they will take hardly one second to switch to other service providers.

With adequate data security policies in place, you can gain an edge over your peers while protecting data security.

4. Avoiding expenses involved in a successful attack

Hackers will have easy access to crucial data without viable data security policies. And, if you’re under a cybersecurity attack, you have to be ready to bear huge revenue loss and expenses to repay the victims as compensation. Depending upon the damage that happened, this compensation could be in thousands to millions of dollars or pounds.

For instance, the average compensation to a cybersecurity attack victim can start from £500 and can go up to £2,000. It’s the price a business has to pay to one customer. And, in no attack only one customer’s data is compromised. Usually, there are millions of users involved. So, accumulatively, this will become a huge amount to be paid as compensation.

If we search history, we will have multiple examples where enterprises had to pay a hefty amount as a fine.

Marriott had to pay a whopping fine of $124 million penalty due to a cyber-attack.

Equifax also paid $575 million as a fine for the data breach it experienced in the 2017 breach. It is a huge amount. You can simply avoid this by using data security.

Major Types of Data Security Controls

Data security aims at multiple aspects and tries to protect concerned data from numerous dimensions, so there exist various types of data security controls. Have a look at the most suggested one.

1. Access Controls

If we analyze the key reason behind most cybersecurity threats, it all boils down to unauthorized access to critical systems and data. Access controls help an organization control or monitor access to all physical and digital assets to avoid unauthorized access.

Setting up login rights, role-based access, and monitoring access activities are some of the activities used by this type of data security. Organizations can define access penetration to ensure no employee exploits their resource access rights.

2. User Authentication

User authentication is a commonly adopted data security practice wherein enterprises use multiple means to ensure that only verified users use vital resources. It uses actions like PINs, security tokens, biometrics, and passwords to verify the identity of users before access to resources or databases are granted.

3. Regular Backups & Recovery

An ideal data security approach is one that also has a backup plan if an attack still takes place. Backup and recovery is a variety of data security that involves taking periodic data backups to avoid complete loss of mission-critical data in case of an attack, breach, or disaster.

4. Data Erasure

One key aspect of an effective data security policy is to make sure that data is disposed of in the proper manner and at regular data. Without solid data security measures, data hoarding is not good as it leaves the scope for attackers to exploit databases by launching corrupted data.

Data erasure provides standardized data disposal practices using which enterprises can easily overwrite, delete, replace, or modify any data. It ensures that when data is removed or deleted, no one can recover and misuse it.

5. Data masking

The next key data security type to discuss here is data masking. The real data/information is hidden using unique numbers and letters in this variety. It also involves hiding the real IP addresses with the help of VPNWelt proxy server services.

A Proxy server is an intermediary that replaces the real IP address with a proxy address and misguides the hackers about the real-time location of the internet users. 

6. Encryption

One of the most widely used and time-tested data security types is encryption, which involves converting text characters into an entirely unreadable format using encryption keys. Those who have access to encryption keys can access that blocked data. Encryption avoids over-exploitation of data and misuse of involved information.

7. Data resiliency

Last but not least, we have data resiliency to recommend, which involves making concerning data strong enough to bear any attack and keep failure as small as possible. It prepares systems to handle both natural and fabricated disasters.

Are Data Privacy And Data Security the Same?

Data security is all about controlling data access and usage to handle damages. It also involves using best practices to prevent unauthorized access to key databases entirely.

Even though data privacy also involves keeping data safe, it adopts a different approach. It refers to deciding who can access data and how. It puts users at the front and lets them choose to control the data access.

Example: Using OTP for Gmail login is a data security move, while not allowing Google Maps to track your location is always related to data privacy.

Viable Data Security Solutions

As one decides to bring data security in place, it’s important to learn about the best possible security solutions to achieve desired results. We have enlisted some of the best data security solutions to use.