Generally speaking, data security refers to digital privacy protection measures that are applied to prevent unauthorized access to data, which can be found on computers, databases, websites, etc. Data security also protects data from possible corruption.
What is data security?
Data security, also known as information security or computer security, is an essential aspect of IT in organizations of any size and type. It’s about protecting data from unauthorized access and protecting it from corruption throughout its lifecycle.
Data security includes concepts such as data encryption, tokenization, and key management practices that help protect data across an organization’s applications and platforms.
Today, organizations around the world invest heavily in cyberdefense-related information technology to protect their critical assets: their brand, intellectual capital, and customer information.
In all data security issues there are common elements that all organizations must take into account when implementing their measures: people, processes and technology.
Some concepts you should know
Data security is a major issue that affects almost all of us. More and more technological products that in one way or another must be taken into account for security issues are being introduced into our daily lives, from smartwatches to driverless vehicles. The era of the Internet of Things (IoT) and, of course, of IoT-related hacks has arrived.
All these connected devices create new “conversations” between devices, interfaces, private infrastructures and the cloud, which in turn creates more opportunities for hackers to listen. All of this has prompted a demand for data security solutions and experts capable of building stronger, less vulnerable networks.
Recent trends have shown that ransomware attacks are increasing in frequency and severity. It has become a booming business for cyber thieves and hackers, who access the network and hijack data and systems. In recent months, large companies and other organizations, as well as private users, have fallen victim to these types of attacks and have had to pay ransom or run the risk of losing important data.
So what concepts should we know that can help us protect our network and prevent this new wave of modern cyber attacks?
Data Security Engineering
Thinking about data security and building defenses from the first moment is of vital importance. Security engineers aim to protect the network from threats from their inception until they are reliable and secure.
Security engineers design systems that protect the right things the right way. If the goal of a software engineer is to make sure things happen, the goal of the security engineer is to make sure (bad) things don’t happen by designing, implementing, and testing complete and safe systems.
Security engineering covers a lot of ground and includes many measures, from regular security testing and code reviews to creating security architectures and threat models to keep a network locked and secure from a holistic point of view.
Encryption
If data security engineering protects the network and other physical assets such as servers, computers and databases, encryption protects the actual data and files stored on them or traveling between them over the Internet.
Encryption strategies are crucial for any enterprise using the cloud and are a great way to protect hard drives, data, and files in transit through email, in browsers, or on their way to the cloud.
In the event that data is intercepted, encryption makes it difficult for hackers to do anything with it. This is because the encrypted data is illegible to unauthorized users without the encryption key. Encryption should not be left until the end, and should be carefully integrated into the existing network and workflow to make it more successful.
Intrusion Detection and Response to a Security Gap
If suspicious-looking actions occur on the network, such as someone or something trying to break in, intrusion detection will be triggered. Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDS) continuously and passively monitor network traffic for seemingly illegal or anomalous behavior and mark it for review.
NIDS not only block that traffic, but also collect information about it and alert network administrators.
But despite all this, security breaches continue to occur. That’s why it’s important to have a plan to respond to a data breach. You have to be prepared to take action with an effective system.
That system can be updated as often as needed, for example if there are changes in network components or new threats arise that need to be addressed.
A robust system against a breach will ensure that you have the resources in place and that it is easy to follow a set of instructions to seal the breach and everything that goes with it, whether you need to receive legal assistance, have insurance policies, data recovery plans, or notify any partner of the issue.
Firewall
How do you keep unwanted visitors and malicious software off the network? When you’re connected to the Internet, a good way to ensure that only the right people and files are receiving our data is through firewalls: software or hardware designed with a set of rules to block access to the network by unauthorized users.
They are excellent lines of defense to prevent data interception and block malware attempting to enter the network, and they also prevent important information from leaving, such as passwords or confidential data.
Vulnerability analysis
Hackers often scan networks actively or passively for holes and vulnerabilities. Data security analysts and vulnerability assessment professionals are key elements in identifying potential holes and closing them.
Security analysis software is used to exploit any vulnerability in a computer, network, or communications infrastructure, prioritizing and addressing each with data security plans that protect, detect, and react.
Intrusion Testing
Vulnerability analysis (which identifies potential threats) may also deliberately include investigating a network or system to detect faults or test for intrusion. It’s a great way to identify vulnerabilities early and design a plan to fix them.
If there are operating system failures, problems with breaches, application code, or other similar problems, an intrusion test network administrator can help you locate these problems and apply patches so you are less likely to have an attack.
Intrusion testing involves running manual or automated processes that disrupt servers, applications, networks, and even end user devices to see if and where the intrusion is possible. From this, they can generate a report to the auditors as proof of compliance.
A full intrusion test can save you time and money by preventing costly attacks in weak areas you don’t know about. System downtime can be another annoying side effect of malicious attacks, so regular intrusion testing is an excellent way to prevent problems before they arise.