A Comprehensive Guide To Data Protection
The workforce is evolving rapidly with innovations coming up—remote and hybrid jobs, use of AI tools, etc.—and data is the fuel for it all. The entirety of every organization (small, medium, and large-scale) depends on data. In fact, it’s oxygen in the business world. This priceless nature of data makes it a sitting target for individuals with negative intentions. Therefore, data protection is a must. As simple as it sounds, data protection can be tricky when done in ignorance. In this article, you will find the information you need to protect your organization’s data. What is Data Protection? Data protection, often used interchangeably with the term “data security,” is the process of safeguarding sensitive information about an identified subject. This information includes names, ages, occupations, health records, financial details, etc. Since the growth of organizations depends heavily on data utilization and storage, it is paramount that the gathered data be defended against a host of problems. Problems such as data corruption and compromise, and fatal loss due to cyberattacks, human error, and system shutdown. Now its primary aim is not only to prevent loss but to ensure the data is accessible, reliable, and recoverable. Let’s see why data protection is so important. Why Data Protection is Important “In industry circles, consumer data is often compared to plutonium, which is powerful and valuable but dangerous to the handler if abused.” This is a statement by Mike Pedrick, vice president of cybersecurity consulting at managed security services provider Nuspire. Courtesy of the data quantity generated (approximately 2.5 quintillion bytes of data daily) and new work modes (remote, hybrid, etc.), safeguarding data is more advanced than a few years ago. Hence, laying some ground rules became a difficult task. The Ponemon Institute’s Cost of Data Breach Study found that, on average, the damage caused by a data breach in the USA was $8 million. The impact of the average data incident reaches 25,575 user accounts, resulting in a severe loss of customer trust and subsequently stifling the company’s growth. Also, in the first six months of 2023, ransomware extortion totaled $176 million more than the entire previous year. These statistics show the tragic financial and reputational impacts of data loss and breaches to organizations. Looking at the disadvantages of data compromise and loss. Its best organizations develop and implement a foolproof protection system. 7 Principles of Data Protection Just like every other aspect of life, safeguarding data comes with principles. And these principles are derived from the UK GDPR. Why? Most of the laws protecting data around the world, simply put, are adaptations of the UK GDPR. These are the seven principles guiding data protection under the GDPR that you should know 1. Lawfulness, Fairness, and Transparency This means that any information and communication concerning the processing of the collected data should be easy to understand and in clear, plain language. 2. Purpose limitation This principle simply means that personal data collected can only be used for legitimate purposes. And such reasons must be specified. Also, the data collected cannot be used for any other reasons incompatible with the specified purposes. 3. Data Minimization Data should be processed only if the purpose cannot be fulfilled by any other means. This limits data processing to what is adequate and necessary for the purpose. 4. Accuracy All personal data collected by controllers (individuals, private entities, public commissions, agencies, etc.) must be stored accurately and up-to-date. Any inaccurate data is to be erased or corrected without delay. 5. Storage Limitations Personal data is not to be kept longer than necessary for the purposes for which it is collected and processed. To abide by this principle, organizations are advised to place a time limit on such data, after which it is reviewed or erased. 6. Integrity and confidentiality Making use of appropriate measures, organizations should ensure personal data is well protected against unauthorized access, unlawful use, and loss, damage, or destruction. The security and confidentiality of the data are first and foremost concerns during processing. 7. Accountability Lastly, controllers must be able to take responsibility for the processing of data and be able to show their compliance (through appropriate records and measures) with the previously mentioned principles. In addition to the above principles, the laws governing the protection of data have other requirements. For instance, organizations have to conduct Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) under certain conditions. Why are the Data Protection Principles important? These principles act as a solid foundation for building an efficient data protection system and ensuring compliance with the GDPR. Failure to comply with these principles is punishable with sizable fines, which can be 4% of the global annual turnover of the defaulting organization or up to €20 million, whichever is higher at the time. How to Protect Data in Your Organization While it is best to consult a data protection service, here are 10 simple steps to achieve maximum protection. If you wonder how to ensure your organization’s data is well protected, these are some of the best practices you can use. The four main methods of protecting data are: Encryption data: Stops unauthorized parties from reading data. Data masking: Cloaks high-value data by replacing sensitive information with random characters. Erasure: Cleaning inactive or unused data from the repository. Data resilience: use of full, differential, and incremental backups of sensitive data. Current Data Protection Trends The increasing use of data security and privacy solutions is driven largely by stricter data privacy laws. With the death of third-party cookies, etc., a new system of data collation rises, bringing along a new and harsher breed of threats against data integrity. To avoid getting caught in the crossfire, brands must be aware of the latest trends in data protection. Some current trends are: Increasing Data Localization Laws Data localization laws are rules by governments that mandate companies to store data about their users within specific countries’ borders instead of storing it just anywhere. This is to protect users’ data and ensure it stays safe from unauthorized
