What is data security and 6 ways to keep your data safe

Ultimate data security is the goal of many companies today. One of the most important goals of IT departments is to keep data secure at all times. However, with advancements in technology, data security is becoming more complex.

⚿ Follow this article to find out why it’s crucial to ensure data security in your organization – and how you can do that. Before you start, get our list of most important features to look for in a secure business communication platform.

What is data security and why it matters

Data security is the term used to describe multiple methods of safeguarding digital assets, and protecting them from unauthorized use, corruption, or theft. It encompasses company policies, physical security of premises, and digital methods of data protection.

Data security got a new dimension of importance with the implementation of GDPR and other data privacy regulations. It is now more crucial than ever to ensure customer data stays protected due to large fines issued by regulatory bodies.

Moreover, customers are more conscious of the importance of data privacy, and they are not willing to purchase products or services from companies with poor data privacy reputation.

However, it is becoming increasingly challenging to secure data at all times. Organizations are adopting hybrid work models, which makes data more vulnerable. For example, ransomware attacks have risen by 62% worldwide between 2019 and 2020. Also, most data breaches happen unintentionally, with some research reporting up to 90% of them happen through human error.

Because of all these issues, it is becoming not only more challenging, but also more expensive to ensure data security. However, considering the cost of privacy regulatory fines and cybersecurity breaches, companies are gradually investing more into securing business critical data.

Data security is everybody’s responsibility

Traditionally, data security has been the responsibility of IT departments. Today, the IT department still carries the most accountability for keeping data safe – but in a sense, data security is everybody’s responsibility.

What do we mean by that? Well, since phishing attacks and cybersecurity breaches are on the rise, all employees must be aware of how their actions affect organizational data security. Experts talk about moving from a ‘trust but verify’ mentality to ‘verify then trust’ alternative when it comes to their own employees’ actions.

Moreover, moving towards remote and hybrid work models increases security vulnerabilities. Therefore, leaders must initiate the change in policies and communicate the new procedures from top to bottom.

Data security types

Broadly speaking, there are three types of data security. First one is management security, which represents the overall design of administrative controls. Second one, operational security, consists of technical controls such as access control, authentication, and more. Thirdly, we have physical security which ensures protection from physical threats to hardware and personnel.

These are data security types that are most often used to protect business sensitive data.

Backups & Recovery

This type of data security ensures that, in case of disaster, data corruption, or system failure, data stays safe and can be accessed securely. This is often done by backing up data on a separate entity such as cloud storage, local network, or external disks.

Perimeter security

Securing the perimeter refers to physical security of data stored in data centers, and it usually bases on multiple layers of security. Usually, it includes installing perimeter barriers, limiting and securing entry points, and monitoring the premises with video surveillance. Use your data operations in accordance with tight security standards.

Access controls

One of the most important and usual ways to secure data is access control. It regulates access to business critical data and systems. In simple terms, access control policies ensure that users entering and using the system are who they really are and that they use the data in a secure manner.

There are three access control modules: discretionary, role-based, and mandatory.

Authentication

As its name suggests, authentication is a method of checking if the person trying to access data is that person. Some of the most usual authentication methods include passwords, PIN, swipe cards, biometrics, etc. Nowadays, two factor authentication is a common procedure for accessing different types of software.

⚿ Rocket.Chat is one of the most secure communication platforms on the market. Have a look at our list of security features that include two factor authentication and more!

Encryption

Encryption is one of the most common techniques for ensuring data security. Most people know about end-to-end encryption, which is a popular way to secure data in transit. It is used by many messaging apps today.

⚿ Check our lists of 18 most secure messaging apps and best encrypted messaging apps on the market.

Encrypting data at rest is a very common data security technique. However, it is worrying that 60% of employees say their organizations transfer confidential data to the cloud whether or not it is encrypted.

‍

DLP technologies

DLP or Data Loss Prevention technologies is a term used to describe a set of tools that prevents misuse, loss, or unauthorized access to confidential data. We at Rocket.Chat have included DLP into our security bundle to enable our users to identify, classify, and protect their company’s data.

6 data security tips you shouldn’t ignore

As you found out earlier, there are multiple data security measures. However, there are several general tips to follow in order to guarantee data security.

Here is our list of the most important advice regarding securing your business critical data.

Know where your data is

An alarming number of companies don’t know where their data is actually stored. This report by the Institute of Directors says that 43% of study respondents don’t know the location of their business critical data.

In order to guarantee data security, naturally, it is essential to know where data is stored to take measures of protection.