Data is vital to any company. It allows it to run efficiently and profitably. However, companies must be able to balance the need for accessible and abundant data with the requirement to ensure that customer data is kept secure and private. The GDPR in Europe and California’s CCPA are a major factor in this as well as long-standing laws like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and Securities and Exchange Commission rules which protect financial information of shareholders and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.
To ensure the security of your data first, you need to categorize all your data and safeguard it. This involves identifying, categorizing and determining the access levels for your data in accordance with its sensitiveness. It is also essential to establish a policy which protects data even when it’s in motion or at rest. Utilizing a solution to monitor and detect activities in the file and detect suspicious patterns will help you spot suspicious activity, and swiftly identify and eliminate vulnerabilities that could be a result of outdated or unconfigured software.
Then, a comprehensive strategy for backup and recovery that includes physical storage media is essential. It is also essential to implement appropriate security measures such as background checks on new hires, and regular training for existing employees to ending employees who don’t require access to critical systems. Additionally, it’s important to develop a disaster recovery plan to ensure that your data is protected in the event of a natural or man-made catastrophe.