Data security

Data security or data protection is the process of securing digital information to protect it from online threats. Data security or protection means protecting digital data, such as those in a database, from destructive forces and from the unwanted actions of unauthorized users, such as a cyberattack or a data breach. Data security protects computer hardware, software, storage devices, and the data of user devices. Data security also protects the data of organizations, companies and administrative controls. Proper data security practices reduce the risk of data breaches, including unauthorized access, theft and loss of individual data such as identity documents and bank data. Data security is part of information security.

Data security or data protection is the process of securing digital information to protect it from online threats. Data security or protection means protecting digital data, such as those in a database, from destructive forces and from the unwanted actions of unauthorized users, such as a cyberattack or a data breach. Data security protects computer hardware, software, storage devices, and the data of user devices. Data security also protects the data of organizations, companies and administrative controls. Proper data security practices reduce the risk of data breaches, including unauthorized access, theft and loss of individual data such as identity documents and bank data. Data security is part of information security. ===Data masking=== Data masking of structured data is the process of obscuring (masking) specific data within a database table or cell to ensure that data security is maintained and sensitive information is not exposed to unauthorized personnel. This may include masking the data from users (for example so banking customer representatives can only see the last four digits of a customer's national identity number), developers (who need real production data to test new software releases but should not be able to see sensitive financial data), outsourcing vendors, etc. Data masking is a form of encryption, as it obscures data by modifying particular letters and numbers to keep data concealed and protected from potential hackers. The individual that has access to the code that decrypts the replaced characters are the only ones that can uncover the data. ===Data erasure=== Data erasure (or data deletion, data destruction) is a method of software-based overwriting that permanently clears all electronic data residing on a hard drive or other digital media to ensure that no sensitive data is lost when an asset is retired or reused. Article 17: Right to be Forgotten states that users have the right to permanently remove all of their private information from their old devices/services to give people more control over their data. Users are able to switch between devices efficiently. ==See also== Copy protection Cyber-security regulation Data-centric security Data erasure Data masking Data recovery Digital inheritance Disk encryption Comparison of disk encryption software Identity-based security Information security IT network assurance Pre-boot authentication Privacy engineering Privacy law Raz-Lee Security breach notification laws Single sign-on Smart card Tokenization Transparent data encryption USB flash drive security Gordon–Loeb model for cyber security investments ==References== ==External links== Getting Ready for New Data Laws - Local Gov Magazine EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Countering ransomware attacks

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