The Management and Protection of Corporate Data as key foundations in the cybersecurity strategy.

In the digital age, where corporate information represents an invaluable asset, ‘data protection’ has become a priority for organisations. Their proper management is essential to ensure the security of the company and to prevent cyber threats.

Corporate data protection

Protecting corporate data involves implementing security measures to safeguarding sensitive information of the organisation. This includes confidential customer data, financial information, strategic information or any other data that is crucial to the operation of the company. Loss or unauthorised access to this data can have devastating consequences, such as reputational impact, legal sanctions and significant financial losses.

‘Data Protection’

This refers to the implementation of technical and organisational measures to safeguard the confidentiality, integrity and availability of corporate information. This includes data encryption, the use of firewalls and intrusion detection systems, access control and regular backups. The Data Protection is essential to prevent the loss, alteration or theft of data, and ensure that only authorised persons have access to sensitive information.

Purview DLP: Preventing data loss

An essential tool in corporate data protection is the Purview DLP (Data Loss Prevention), which involves the implementation of policies and technologies to prevent the loss or leakage of confidential information. This kind of software can detect and control the flow of data in the organisation, identifying and preventing unauthorised or accidental disclosure of sensitive information. In this way, it monitors emails, instant messages, file transfers and any other means of communication used in the company.

The configuration of customised rules and best practices should adapt to the specific needs and requirements of the organisation. These policies define what types of data are considered confidential and set out actions to prevent unauthorised disclosure. They may include blocking or encrypting certain data, sending alert notifications, generating incident reports and applying restrictions on certain activities.

In addition to data loss prevention, the Purview DLP process also helps comply with privacy and information security regulations. In this sense, it ensures compliance with regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or sector-specific standards.

In turn, it contributes to the creation of a information security culture. Employees become more aware of the importance of protecting confidential information and are better able to recognise and prevent security incidents.

‘Data Governance’:

Data governance, on the other hand, refers to the establishment of policies and processes to ensure the quality, integrity, availability and security of corporate data. A robust Data Governance involves defining clear roles and responsibilities for data protection. Also, establish security measures, conduct regular audits and promote information security awareness and training throughout the organisation. This ensures that information is properly protected and used in an ethical and secure manner.

Implementing data governance requires collaboration across different areas of the initiative, such as IT, legal, compliance and risk management. It is a joint effort to establish consistent practices and standards across the enterprise, ensuring consistency and reliability of data used in day-to-day operations.

By implementing a sound strategy, certain benefits are achieved. Firstly, the quality of data is improved, leading to more informed and accurate decision-making. On the other hand, regulatory compliance is ensured and the risk of security breaches is reduced. And it promotes the trust of customers and business partners by demonstrating a commitment to the protection and ethical use of information.

Data protection-based cybersecurity strategy

Let us now look at some best practices for implementing a data protection strategy effectively:

• Assess risks: Conducting a thorough assessment of the organisation’s risks and vulnerabilities is the first step in developing a sound cybersecurity strategy. Identifying potential threats and security breaches helps to determine the measures needed to protect corporate data.
• Implement access controls: Establish access policies and privileges to ensure that only authorised persons have access to sensitive data. This encompasses the use of strong passwords, multi-factor authentication and the assignment of specific permissions based on roles.
• Training staff: Information security awareness and training are basic to promoting a culture of security throughout the organisation. Staff must be trained on best practices, how to recognise and respond to cyber threats, and the importance of protecting corporate data.
• Updates and patches: Maintain systems and softwareupdated with the latest security resources is essential to prevent known vulnerabilities and protect data against cyber attacks.
• Back up: It is also important to regularly back up corporate data to ensure availability and recovery in case of security incidents. Copies should be stored securely and tested regularly to verify their integrity.
• Monitor and detect: Implement threat monitoring and detection solutions to identify suspicious activity, intrusions or unauthorised access attempts. Constant monitoring helps to detect and respond quickly to potential security breaches.
• Evaluate suppliers and partners: If sharing corporate data with suppliers or partners, it is important to evaluate their security standards and ensure that they meet the necessary requirements to protect confidential information.

In short, corporate data management and protection should be a strategic priority for all organisations. By implementing the right measures and promoting a culture of security, companies can stay one step ahead in the fight against cyber threats and safeguard the integrity and confidentiality of their corporate information.

At Pasiona we offer specialised consultancy and implementation services for corporate data protection projects (DLP) using the Microsoft PURVIEW solution that will allow you to secure and manage how corporate data flows and is distributed inside and outside your organisation.