Developing an enterprise data protection strategy

In today's data driven world, protecting your company's data is critical. It’s not only about protecting sensitive information it’s also about ensuring the integrity and availability of your data. Data loss, theft, or corruption can have a substantial impact on your business operations.

Enterprise data protection (EDP) is a data loss and damage prevention technique. It employs several processes and technologies to maintain the security and integrity of your data.

A robust plan allows you to safeguard data from risks while also ensuring regulatory compliance, ensuring company continuity. 

The need for data protection comes from various factors. For starters, the number of data generated by enterprises grows tremendously year after year, making it a valuable asset that must be safeguarded.

Second, the growing frequency of cyber-attacks and data breaches has made data security a primary priority for enterprises. Finally, strict data protection rules and regulations require organizations to effectively protect their data. 

What is a data protection strategy?

Recent cyber threat reports serve as a harsh reminder of the necessity of data security.

In November 2023 alone, there have been 470 security breaches, leading to around 591 million exposed records. This shocking statistic is a clear signal that businesses should ramp up their data security measures.   

A data protection strategy is a plan that outlines how an organisation protects its data. It covers various aspects, including data classification, lifecycle management, backup and recovery, risk management, and loss prevention.

A well defined data protection strategy helps you identify what data you have, where it’s located, who can access it, and how it’s protected. It also provides a clear action plan in case of data loss or breach.

Developing a data protection strategy is not a one-time thing but a continuous one that requires regular review and updates. It should align with your company’s goals, regulatory needs, and evolving threat landscape.

Key elements of a data protection strategy

One of the first steps to develop a data protection strategy is to categorise your data resources.

This involves identifying what data you have, where it is located, and how sensitive it is. Data categorisation lets you prioritise your data security activities and deploy resources more efficiently.

It entails classifying data based on its sensitivity and business impact. For instance, confidential data like customer information, intellectual property, and financial data need high levels of protection. On the other hand, public data, like marketing content, may require less security.

Data lifecycle management (DLM) is another essential element of a data protection strategy. DLM involves managing data throughout its lifecycle - from creation and use to disposal. It assures data security at all phases of its lifespan.

DLM includes data creation, storage, archiving, backup, and deletion. It ensures that data is stored securely, backed up regularly, and deleted when no longer needed. It also involves monitoring and auditing data access and usage.

Backup and recovery of data are also critical components of a data protection plan. It involves creating backups of your data and keeping them in a secure location. In the event that your data is corrupted or lost, you can recover it from these backups.

Data backup should be done regularly and tested frequently to ensure its effectiveness. The recovery process should be quick and efficient to minimise downtime and business impact.

Data risk management is the process of determining, evaluating, and reducing the risks connected to your data. It includes risks like data breaches, loss, corruption, and non-compliance with regulations.

Risk assessment helps you understand the possible impact of these risks on your business. Based on the evaluation, you can develop strategies to mitigate these risks. This may include implementing security controls, developing incident response plans, and conducting regular audits.

Data loss prevention (DLP) involves measures to prevent data loss or leakage. This includes technologies and processes to monitor and control data movement within and outside your organisation.

DLP can help you prevent unauthorised access to data, detect suspicious data activity, and block data leakage. It can also help you to comply with data protection regulations and standards. 

Implementing a data protection programme

Implementing a data protection program involves putting your data protection strategy into action. It involves implementing technology, educating staff members and establishing data protection procedures.

Seek out solutions with multiple protection levels when looking for a data protection programme like: 

●      Database firewalls: These are designed to safeguard your databases from unauthorised access. They act as a security barrier between your database and the outside world, only allowing approved traffic to pass through, hence reducing the risk of data breaches.

●      User rights management: This is an essential part of data protection that helps you control the accessibility of your data. By setting and managing user permissions, you can dictate who can see your data, enhancing its security.

●      Data masking and encryption: This process involves hiding and coding your sensitive data. Data masking obscures confidential details, while encryption transforms data into an encoded format, preventing unauthorised users from interpreting your data.

●      User behaviour analytics: This advanced data protection strategy focuses on detecting abnormal data activity. By analysing patterns of user behavior, you can identify suspicious activities or anomalies, helping to prevent potential data breaches.

●      Database monitoring, discovery, and classification: These processes enable you to stay on top of the whereabouts of your data and the kind of data you handle. Database monitoring keeps an eye on your data's health and usage, while discovery and classification help identify and categorize your data, aiding in its efficient and secure management.

● Employ offsite storage: Sometimes, it is best to store the most sensitive data offsite. Companies offering offsite storage are more than eager to keep your data secure. For example, Corodata offsite tape vaulting is a great solution for keeping sensitive information safe, secure, and out of reach of any third party.

●      Employee training: An integral part of a data protection programme is the education of your workforce. By raising awareness about the importance of data protection and teaching them the correct data handling, you can instil a culture of data security within your organisation.

The future of enterprise data protection is evolving with new technologies and threats. With the increasing volume of data and rising cyber threats, the importance of data protection will only grow.

As we look forward, we can expect advancements in data protection technologies and strategies. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will play a significant role in detecting and preventing data breaches. Blockchain technology will provide a new level of data security and integrity.

In conclusion, developing and implementing a solid data protection strategy is critical for businesses today. It can help you protect your valuable data assets, ensure business continuity, and comply with regulations.

So, start developing your data protection strategy today to secure your future.