Data Security: Best Practices for Businesses and Individuals

Imagine living in a world like ours with your most personal information, like your social security number, bank account numbers, or even medical records, getting into the wrong hands. It would be a nightmare! Data security and privacy help individuals and businesses prevent this from happening.

To help you understand how this works, we will discuss the following in this article:

• What is data security?
• What is data security and privacy?
• Why is data security and privacy essential?
• What are the different data security solutions? and 
• Data Security Management: How to Manage Data Securely 

Ready to get started? Let's jump right in!

What is Data Security?

Data security is the process of protecting confidential information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. 

Data is essential in today’s world. It is used in almost every industry and by anyone for both good and bad causes. Therefore, your data is like a precious jewel.

To keep it safe and secure, you have to lock it away in a safe. But what if the safe is not very strong or an unauthorized person has the key? Then your jewel could be stolen.

Data security and privacy are like the safe that protects your data. They help to keep your data safe from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, or tampering of any sort.

What is Data Security and Privacy? Is There Any Difference?

Data security and privacy are two related terms. While data security is all about protecting the data itself, data privacy deals with protecting the people whose data is being collected and used.

Let’s look at the example of how Google says it uses data as an illustration. When you search for something on Google, your search query is meant to be encrypted in transit.

This means no one should be able to see what you searched for, including Google employees. Now, that is data security.

On the other hand, Google also gives you control over your data by giving you the ability to view your search history and delete it at any time. That is an example of privacy.

Why is Data Security and Privacy Important?

Data security and privacy are important because they keep your personal information away from the wrong hands. Do you remember what happened at T-Mobile between February and March of this year?

The telecom giant announced in April that it had suffered its second data breach. The report said over 800 customers were affected, and their PINs, full names, and phone numbers were exposed.

Although there was no reported negative impact of the above incident on the affected customers, this type of information can be used by attackers to commit a variety of crimes, such as identity theft, fraud, and phishing. This is one of many data breaches, including various cyberattacks, that have shocked the world. 

To prevent these incidents, there are several data security solutions available in the market.

Different Data Security Solutions

As earlier mentioned, there are many data security solutions available. Below are some of the most common ones:

Firewalls: Firewalls can block unauthorized access to your network and data. This is because they can monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic. Examples are Cisco ASA, Palo Alto Networks PA-Series, and Fortinet FortiGate.

Intrusion Detection Systems/Intrusion Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS): IDS/IPS Systems can alert you to potential attacks or block them altogether by monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity. Snort, Suricata, and Cisco Secure IPS are some of the industry-used IDS/IPS solutions. 

Data Encryption: Data encryption solutions scramble data so that it can only be read by authorized individuals. Examples of notable Data Encryption Solutions are AES, RSA, and PGP. 

Access Control: This type of solution allows only authorized persons to have access to your data. Examples include Active Directory, LDAP, and SAML. 

Data Loss Prevention (DLP): DLP solutions prevent sensitive data from being leaked or lost. Examples are Symantec Data Loss Prevention, McAfee Data Loss Prevention, and Cisco Secure Data Loss Prevention.

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): SIEM solutions collect and analyze security data from across your organization to identify and respond to threats. Splunk, IBM Security QRadar, and ArcSight ESM are typical examples of SIEM solutions. 

Endpoint Security Solutions: These are specialized solutions that can protect your devices, such as laptops, desktops, and mobile phones, from cyberattacks. Examples include CrowdStrike Falcon, Carbon Black, Symantec Endpoint Protection, Sophos Intercept X, Bitdefender GravityZone, and Kaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud. 

Other specialized solutions include cloud security solutions, web application firewalls (WAFs), and security solutions.

Generally, the best data security solutions for your organization will depend on your specific needs and budget. Usually, a data security expert can help you develop an encompassing security plan that meets your specific requirements.

Tip for choosing the right data security solution for your business

If you want to reap the full benefit of data security solutions, the first step to take is to evaluate your specific data security needs.

Afterward, set your budget. It is important to set your budget before you start shopping because data security solutions can cost anything from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars.

Also, talk to other organizations in your industry to see what data solutions they are using and what they recommend.

In addition, read reviews of different data security solutions before you make a purchase. Finally, don't forget to consult a data security expert.

Now that you've understood what data security is all about, why it's important, and the various data security solutions available, let's head straight to the last segment of this article, which will show you how to manage your data security effectively.

Data Security Management: How to Manage Your Data Security Effectively

There are many steps you can take to manage your organization’s data security effectively. Below are a few of the most important:

1. Identify and assess your data. The first step is to identify and assess the data that your organization collects and stores. You need to understand the types of data, where it is stored, and who has access to it.
2. Classify your data: Once you have identified your data, the next step is to classify it based on its sensitivity. This will help you assign the right security controls for each type of data.
3. Implement security controls. Once you have classified your data, you need to implement security controls to protect it. This may include firewalls, intrusion detection systems, data encryption, and access controls.
4. Monitor and update your security controls. It is not enough to implement your security controls. Your security controls need to be monitored and updated regularly to ensure that they are effective against evolving threats.
5. Educate your employees. Finally, another very important aspect of data security management is to educate your employees about data security best practices. This includes teaching them how to create strong passwords, identify phishing emails, and avoid other common data security threats.

Tips for Individuals to Manage Data Security Effectively

Use strong passwords and enable multi-factor authentication on all of your online accounts. Strong passwords are usually at least 12 characters long and include a mix of upper and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers. In addition, multi-factor authentication can add an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring you to enter a code from your phone in addition to your password.

Be mindful of what links you click on and what attachments you open in emails. Hackers can send you phishing emails in an attempt to trick you into revealing sensitive information, such as your passwords or credit card numbers. Therefore, be careful of emails that come from unknown senders or that come with suspicious links or attachments.

Keep your software up-to-date. Software updates often include security patches that can help protect your devices from vulnerabilities.

Be careful about the information you share online. Avoid sharing personal information on social media or other public websites. Only share your personal information with trusted organizations.

Use a VPN when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks. VPNs can encrypt your traffic and make it more difficult for attackers to intercept your data.

 

Conclusion

In a data-driven world increasingly filled with questionable characters ready to cause havoc on systems and individuals, it has become imperative for both businesses and individuals to guard data with all diligence.

While systems can be breached at times, there are secure security solutions we can adopt to keep our data from getting into the wrong hands.

It is also important to observe even the simplest safety practices available to us while handling data at all times.

Have you enjoyed this article? Leave us a comment below with your thoughts about data security.