6 Ways to Secure Your Data at Rest
Reading Time: 3 minutesAny information that’s stored somewhere is a big target for cybercriminals. So how can you make sure it’s secure?
You might think that data at rest is secure because it’s static and out of intruders’ way, but that’s hardly the case. Since data is a digital currency, cybercriminals will deploy all possible means to retrieve it for their selfish gains.
Data at rest is more valuable to attackers than its counterpart in transit. And that’s because they can get hold of the entire data set in one go due to its still nature, unlike data in transit. The big question is: how can you secure data at rest?
1. Classify Datasets
Data classification is the act of arranging datasets according to their types, categories, importance, and more. Various datasets may be similar, but they aren’t the same. In cybersecurity, some data is more sensitive than others. In most cases, more sensitive data is more valuable. You must classify your datasets to identify where they belong in the hierarchy.
In classifying your data at rest, give utmost priority to your most critical data. Any compromise or damage to it will be a greater loss to you. You can easily access your datasets, and secure and maintain them when you classify them properly.
2. Create Backups
There’s no guarantee that your data is secure anywhere, especially with the prevalence of cyberattacks. It’s prudent to create a backup, so you’ll have something to fall back to in the event of a loss.
Effective data backup is intentional. Create at least two copies of the same data. You must ensure that you store both copies using different tools and in different locations. You can keep one copy on a physical device (unplugged from your main machine, so any malware doesn’t infect that too) and save the other copy in the cloud.
If you have multiple data backups, store them in different locations as well. If any of the locations get compromised, the other copies will still be secure.
3. Implement Access Controls
Access control refers to your ability to manage how people can access your data. Since data at rest is static, an intruder can easily compromise it once they can locate and view it. A basic access control means requiring users to verify their identity with a username and password before gaining access to your system where your data lies.
You can also control users’ interactions on your network with role-based access. In this case, you restrict their access to the jurisdiction of their roles. That way, they can only access information that directly concerns them.
4. Encrypt Data
Your data at rest is at high risk without encryption. Even when you set up strong security measures to protect it, you must acknowledge the possibility of threat actors accessing it. Make the data useless to them by encrypting it. That way, they can’t view it without the encryption key.
Strengthen the security of your data at rest with high-end encryption systems such as Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). They don’t only render your data unreadable but also make it difficult for intruders to discover the decryption key.
5. Implement Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Solutions
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions are automated systems you can use to secure your data at rest from unauthorized access and usage. These tools are designed based on widely-used cybersecurity compliance standards such as the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The DPL solutions operate according to set data protection guidelines. When they detect actions that don’t align with the predetermined guidelines, they raise an alarm and move to prevent data loss.
6. Tokenize Data Sets
Tokenization is the process of replacing sensitive data elements with non-sensitive random elements to carry out specific actions without exposing the actual data. It’s most beneficial when you are dealing with highly critical information as it limits engagements with the authentic data.
This isn’t just helpful to prevent external attacks but insider threats as well. It’s surprisingly simple to expose or alter your data accidentally. When you tokenize your information, there’s no impact in the event of an accident because it’s not the original data.
Secure Data at Rest From External and Internal Threats
Data at rest is prone to exposure by default. If it’s valuable to you, you must take deliberate action to protect it from external and insider threats. Otherwise, you stand a risk of losing it and affecting your repuration.
Reference: https://www.makeuseof.com/ways-secure-data-at-rest/
Ref: makeuseof
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