In digital era, privacy must be a priority. Is it just me, or is secret blanket surveillance obscenely outrageous?

~ Al Gore

Data security is the biggest issue in every business today. Cybercrime is turning out to be a tremendous threat to companies in the current day business world. While the developers are aiming at making the best security software, organizations are beginning to understand the intricacies of cyber-attacks. So what is data security? What are different data solutions? Why is data security important for businesses today?

What is Data Security?

The protection of data of an organization from unauthorized accesses and data corruption is called Data security. It is an integral aspect of a company’s growth. Being an important asset of a company, data ought to be secured from any kind of cyber theft. Hence, companies across the world are investing more than ever in the IT stream, to be able to deploy the best software for data securing.

What are Different Data Security Solutions?

The sensitive data of an organization can be secured with the help of various data security solutions:

• Data back-up – In a data back-up process, the data files are copied or archived so that in an event of data loss, they can be retrieved without any hassles. This is one of the most important security solutions for data. Usually, secondary servers are installed across the systems. In case of the primary servers failing to deliver, the secondary servers perform the desired job. A well-aligned strategy is recommended for data back-up such as organizing the data files; compressing the files where required; setting a regular data back-up schedule; ensuring that the data is backed-up at regular intervals and in the right locations.
• Data Encryption – Encryption is the process of encoding certain information. An encryption software enables encryption and decryption of the data stream while the process of data transmission and storage is going on. Various encryption methods used are AES, Triple DES, RSA, Blowfish, etc.
• Firewalls – Firewalls are installed to monitor the incoming and outgoing network traffic. Networks are of two kinds, trusted and untrusted. A firewall creates obstacles between these two network types. These ensure safety from phishing attacks on the network.
• Antivirus software – An antivirus software is a group of programs that work together to prevent or search for or eradicate viruses from a system.
• System Updating- It is important to update the operating systems in an organization at regular intervals. The latest security software and drivers can be installed to keep the systems upgraded as per the contemporary demands.
• Tokenization – Sensitive data is substituted with characters that are algorithmically irreversible. While the actual data remains safe in a secure platform, the token is used across various systems.

Importance of Data Security for the Businesses

Data security measures are the protective actions taken by organizations to secure the company’s data from unidentified or malicious access. In the contemporary business era, this has proven to be vital for many reasons:

• These protective tools avoid any data breaches. A company has many kinds of data stored in their systems such as clientele information. An event of a data breach can lead to massive distrust between the organization and clients; result in added financial costs; affect the brand’s reputation; may lead to bitter legal consequences to deal with etc.
• Cybercriminals have been expanding their approach and thefts. Hackers today are savvy enough to be able to design advanced software and tools to intrude and steal a company’s data. Unauthorized access can be prevented by integrating data security tools or by bio- authentication tools such as NAVOMI’s BioAuth. This impressive tool authenticates customers via voice.
• The business operations and decisions primarily revolve around the data. This is to say that in this tech-driven environment, keeping the data secure ensures seamless continuity of the business.

Some Common Techniques of Cyber Attacks-

While in a business, knowing how to secure the data alone might not be sufficient. It is also important to understand and recognize a cyber-attack. Some of these common techniques are:

The value of data has never been as pivotal as it is in the present day. Be it in the personal systems or the systems of an organization, data invariably plays a vital role. The exploitation of such data can lead to a downfall in the overall growth of a company. Concluding with PayPal’s co-founder Max Levchin’s rightly put words,

“The world is now awash in data and we can see consumers in a lot clearer ways.”