6 Data Security Best Practices You Should Follow Right Now

Data security is more important now than ever before. As cyber threats become more sophisticated, companies need to stay vigilant and take proactive measures to protect sensitive information. Here are 6 essential data security best practices every organization should follow:

1. Classify and Protect Your Data

• Not all data is equally sensitive. Classifying your data based on how sensitive or confidential it is ensures you apply the right protections. Some best practices for classifying data:
• Categorize data as public, internal, confidential or regulated.
• Mark sensitive documents clearly.

• Store different classification levels separately.

• Apply stringent controls around highly confidential data like:

• Encryption, both in transit and at rest.
• Strict access controls and permissions.

• Additional monitoring and auditing.

• Be sure to protect personal data of customers or employees as per relevant regulations like GDPR or HIPAA.

2. Implement Strong Access Controls

• Restrict access to sensitive data with mechanisms like:
• Role-based access controls (RBAC) – Only allow access as per job roles.
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for critical systems.
• Periodic revalidation of user permissions.

• Monitoring user activity for unauthorized access.

• Segregate duties to prevent excessive rights accumulation.

• For external users, have well defined policies and disable inactive accounts.

• Encrypt data both in transit and at rest. Ensure proper key management procedures.

3. Regularly Review and Test Security Controls

• Once security controls are in place, review them regularly to ensure they are effective. Important best practices:

• Perform risk assessments periodically to identify control gaps or new threats.

• Do vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to find technical weaknesses.
• Test incident response plans with drills.

• Conduct security audits of people, processes and technology controls.

• Address any issues found during reviews in a timely manner.

• Maintain audit trails of testing results and remedial actions.

4. Protect Networks and Endpoints

• Implement safeguards like:

• Firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems.

• Endpoint protection software on all devices.
• Regular patching and updates.
• Network segmentation and proper configuration.

• Monitoring for suspicious activity.

• For remote access, use VPNs. Limit access to critical systems.

• Have a mobile device management policy for BYOD.

• Timely decommissioning of old/vulnerable systems.

5. Build a Security-Aware Culture

• Technical controls are not enough. Foster security-conscious behavior through:

• Security awareness training for all employees.

• Clear security policies and procedures.
• Role-specific training for handling sensitive data.

• Reward reporting of security incidents or risks.

• Ensure security ownership at the executive level.

• Have swift but fair consequences for violations.

6. Prepare for Incident Response

• Have an incident response plan that covers:

• Reporting and escalation procedures.

• Containment strategies for various breach scenarios.
• Roles and responsibilities of incident response team.
• Communications plan for internal stakeholders and externals.
• Integration with legal/regulatory compliance protocols.

• Testing and reviews to keep plan current.

• Report criminal cyber attacks to law enforcement. Engage specialists like forensic investigators as needed.

• After an incident, do a post-mortem analysis and improve defenses.

Following these data security best practices reduces risk and prepares your organization to handle data breaches effectively. They call for a combination of people, process and technology controls. Aim for defense in depth by implementing multiple safeguards at various levels.