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What Are the Best Practices for Data Masking to Secure Your Business?

By Dale Weinbaum, California Business Journal

Data Masking is an essential technique to keep sensitive data secure. As online threats evolve, businesses require efficient security measures to protect confidential information from unauthorized access. One effective method is data masking, used to obscure sensitive data within large repositories, preventing unauthorized access This ensures private information remains concealed while enabling the use of data for various business purposes. Let’s discuss the best ways to utilize data masking to keep your organization secure.

According to Statista, revenue in the data security industry is expected to reach US$7.06 billion by 2024. The revenue is projected to grow annually at a rate of 11.28%, reaching a market volume of US$12.05 billion by 2029.

Best Practices for Data Masking

Implementing data masking effectively requires a strategic approach. The data masking best practices that are essential for ensuring the security and privacy of sensitive information are:

Identifying Sensitive Data

The first stage in data masking is determining which data should be concealed. Concentrate on data that contains personally identifiable information, financial information, health records, or any other information that could potentially be misused if revealed. Use data analysis and categorization technologies to find sensitive data in your databases.

Develop a Data Masking Strategy

An inefficient approach to data masking might result in security issues in data protection. Create an extensive data masking plan that addresses every area of data protection. This should include rules, techniques, and systems for detecting, masking, and managing sensitive information.

Use Advanced Masking Techniques

Simple masking techniques such as substitution and shuffling may not be adequate for very sensitive material. Consider applying advanced masking methods such as:

Encrypting sensitive data to offer an additional level of protection.
Tokenization to replace sensitive data with non-sensitive counterparts (tokens) that can be mapped back to the original data.

Ensure Data Consistency

Ensure consistency across databases when applying masking techniques. Inconsistent data might result in incorrect analytics and reporting, affecting decisions made by companies. Utilize deterministic masking techniques for fields that necessitate fixed values, such as customer or transaction IDs.

Implement Role-Based Access Controls

Combine data masking with role-based access controls to ensure that only authorized users have access to important data. Define user roles and permissions using the principle of least privilege, allowing people to access the data they need to execute their job tasks.

Regularly Update Masking Techniques

Cyber challenges and regulatory guidelines are always evolving. Regularly examine and update your data masking methods to handle new risks and comply with new rules. Stay updated on the newest data masking technology and best practices.

Conclusion

Masking data to keep it safe is very essential to your security. To achieve effective data security, prioritize identifying sensitive information.. And follow the rules and regulations. Create a plan that employs innovative techniques for masking the information. And employ tools to assist and keep an eye on things to direct those around you. Protecting your information is important in present society not only for technology but also for business.