Securing Data.
In today's digital age,
data security is a top priority for organizations worldwide.
As threats continue to evolve, so too must the strategies
and techniques used to safeguard valuable data.
In this lesson, we're going to jump into the various methods
used to secure data, including geographic restrictions,
encryptions, hashing, masking,
tokenization, obfuscation, segmentation,
and permission restrictions.
First, geographic restrictions.
Geographic restrictions, also known as geofencing,
involve setting up virtual boundaries
to restrict data access based on the geographic location.
This method can help organizations comply
with data sovereignty laws
and prevent unauthorized access from high-risk locations.
For example, if all my employees
are located within the Americas,
I can simply ban any login requests originating
from Asia or Africa
as my users can never be logging in from those locations.
Second, encryption.
Encryption is a fundamental data security method
that transforms readable data, plaintext,
into unreadable data or ciphertext
using an algorithm and an encryption key.
Only those with the corresponding decryption key
can revert the data back to its original form.
Encryption is crucial for protecting data at rest
and data in transit.
Third, hashing.
Hashing is a technique that converts data
into a fixed size of numerical
or alphanumeric characters, known as the hash value.
Unlike encryption, hashing is a one-way function.
Once data is hashed, it cannot be reversed or decrypted.
Hashing is often used to store sensitive data
like passwords, and it's also used
to check the integrity of files.
Next up, masking.
Data masking involves replacing some
or all of the data in a field with a placeholder, such as X,
to conceal the original content.
It can be done partially to keep some metadata for analysis.
For instance, in a phone number
the area code might be kept,
but the rest of the number is replaced.
Data masking can also maintain
the original format of the field.
Once data is masked, it's a one-way process
so it can't be reversed,
making it a method of de-identification.
Next up, tokenization.
Tokenization replaces sensitive data
with non-sensitive substitutes, known as tokens.
The original data is stored securely in a separate database
with a token serving as a reference to the original data.
Tokenization is commonly used in payment processing systems
to protect credit card information.
Next up, obfuscation.
Obfuscation involves making data unclear or unintelligible,
making it difficult for unauthorized users to understand.
This can involve various techniques, such as encryption,
data masking, and the use of pseudonyms.
Next up, segmentation.
Segmentation involves dividing a network
into separate segments, each with its own security controls.
This means that even if a cyber criminal gains access
to one segment, they cannot move laterally
to other parts of the network.
This limits the potential damage of a breach.
Finally, permission restrictions.
Permission restrictions involve defining who has access
to specific data and what they can do with it.
This is often managed through access control list
or role-based access control, often known as RBAC,
by limiting access to only those who need it.
Organizations can significantly reduce the risk
of internal data breaches.
So in conclusion, securing data
is a tedious but rewarding process
that requires a combination of techniques,
tailored to an organization's specific needs
and the nature of the data they handle.
By implementing a robust mix of geographic restrictions,
encryption, hashing, masking,
tokenization, obfuscation, segmentation,
and permission restrictions,
organizations can protect their valuable data assets
from both internal and external threats.