What Is Data Security? Importance & Best Practices

Cyber threats are on the rise and increasing in sophistication. Strong data security practices and reliable data security software aren’t just about protection — they’re key to putting customers first in today’s trust landscape.

But it isn’t always easy for organizations to keep up with the risks, let alone be proactive with security efforts. This guide will help you build a security-first approach, from understanding different types of data security to implementing effective policies. Here’s how data security can fortify your business and its success in the digital landscape.

Data security is all about the practices and tools your organization uses to protect digital information, whether it’s stored or shared. Strong data security strategies keep your data safe from unauthorized access, corruption, or theft, ensuring its confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

This means protecting sensitive business information, personal data, and intellectual property from a wide range of threats. As businesses go increasingly digital, solid data security isn’t just a technical need — it’s a smart strategy. That’s why many companies now have whole teams dedicated to data security and compliance, helping keep things running smoothly and staying on top of regulations.

Data breaches can have serious consequences, from financial losses and legal trouble to a hit on customer trust. As industries go more digital, organizations need to take extra steps to ensure sensitive data is securely stored and protected from cyberattacks. By 2025, it’s estimated that 45% of companies worldwide will have faced attacks on their software supply chains — a three-fold jump from 2021.

With data security threats growing, companies can’t afford a major breach. Most are handling increasing amounts of sensitive information, like customer details, financial records, and proprietary data. Securing this information helps prevent unauthorized access and the costly financial and reputational fallout that comes with breaches.

Data breaches are costly, averaging over $4 million — a hit that’s hard for any business to take. Even if a company can handle the cost, data regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) hold businesses to strict standards. Non-compliance can lead to steep fines and legal issues, hurting both brand reputation and the bottom line.

Strong data security practices don’t just protect your organization; they make your operations more efficient. And knowing that your data is reliable and accessible only to authorized users supports smoother internal processes, drives innovation, and builds trust with customers and partners.

“Big data security” refers to the tools and methods used to protect large volumes of data, typically defined by its variety, speed, and sheer size.

As businesses increasingly depend on big data analytics to guide decisions, keeping this data secure becomes even more essential. Securing big data means protecting storage systems, ensuring secure data transfers, and using controls to prevent unauthorized access.

Data security and data privacy may sound similar, but they each have their own focus. Data security is all about protecting data from unauthorized access to ensure its integrity and availability. This involves technical safeguards like encryption, firewalls, and access controls.

Data privacy, on the other hand, focuses on individuals’ rights regarding their personal information. It’s about policies that govern how personal data is collected, used, and shared, ensuring people have control over their information.

Keeping your data safe involves several methods and techniques, each playing a key role in protecting against unauthorized access and potential breaches.

Before diving into the details, it’s good to know that data security standards lay the groundwork for all these approaches. These standards help keep everyone on the same page, making sure there’s consistency and compliance in data protection. Let’s take a closer look at the four main types of data security: encryption, data erasure, data masking, and data resiliency.

Encryption is like turning your data into a secret code that only the right people can understand. Whether your data is sitting still (at rest) or moving around (in transit), encryption keeps it safe from prying eyes.

For example, when you send a sensitive email, encryption ensures that even if someone intercepts it, they can’t read the content without the key. This is extremely important for protecting things such as financial information, personal customer data, and confidential business communications.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring more than just a password to gain access. With MFA, you need to verify your identity using two or more different methods — something you know (like a password), something you have (like a smartphone), or something you are (like a fingerprint).

For instance, even if someone manages to steal your password, they won’t be able to access your account without that second factor, such as a code sent to your phone. This significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access and makes it much harder for cybercriminals to compromise your accounts.

Data erasure is like shredding documents in the digital world. When you erase data properly, it’s gone for good — not like simple deletion, which can sometimes be undone. This method is essential for securely removing sensitive information.

For instance, when you’re upgrading your hardware or cleaning up old files, proper data erasure ensures that those old bits of information can’t be recovered. It’s crucial for staying compliant with regulations and managing your data lifecycle effectively.

Role-based access control (RBAC), or the principle of least privilege (PoLP), is all about ensuring that the right people have the right access to your data. With RBAC, you assign permissions based on the roles individuals have within your organization. This means that employees only have access to the data and systems they need to do their jobs, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

For example, a marketing team member may need access to customer data for outreach campaigns, while an HR employee needs access to personal information for payroll. By limiting access based on role, you not only protect sensitive information but also streamline operations. It’s an effective way to enhance security and minimize the chances of data breaches.

Data masking tools are all about keeping your sensitive data safe by replacing it with fake, yet realistic, information. This is particularly handy in non-production environments like development and testing.

For example, if you’re testing new software or updates and need to use customer information, data masking ensures that the real details stay protected. You can still work with the data structure without the risk of exposing any sensitive information. It’s a smart way to balance usability and security.

Data resiliency is all about making sure your data can bounce back from mishaps, whether it's a cyberattack, natural disaster, or system failure. This involves having backup solutions and recovery plans ready to go.

If your server crashes, good data resiliency practices let you quickly restore your data and get back to business as usual. This minimizes downtime and keeps your operations running smoothly, even when unexpected challenges appear.

Why should you care about data security? Consider these few reasons:

• Keeps your data safe: Just like locking up your valuables, protecting your sensitive data from breaches is essential.
• Builds customer trust: As mentioned earlier, data breaches can seriously harm your reputation. Customers are more likely to stick with a company that they know takes their information seriously.
• Gives you a competitive advantage: Customers prefer businesses that prioritize their privacy. Strong data security can help you stand out from the competition and attract clients who value their privacy. Plus, having solid data security practices lays the groundwork for ongoing innovation, especially in the age of AI, where security is a top concern.
• Saves on costs associated with breaches: By avoiding data breaches, you won't have to shell out big bucks to fix problems or deal with the aftermath.

When it comes to keeping your data safe, there are certain data security best practices that can help you avoid trouble. Here are three key strategies to consider as you enhance your security methods.

1. Complete your basic information security checks: Start by implementing strong access controls, using multi-factor authentication, and regularly updating your security protocols. Make it a habit to review who has access to what information and ensure that only authorized personnel can reach sensitive data.
2. Prepare ahead of time for threats: Having a solid incident response plan is crucial. Develop and regularly update this plan, and conduct security audits and training to keep your team prepared for potential threats. Think of it like a fire drill for your data — everyone should know what to do when an alarm goes off. Regularly testing your defenses helps identify and fix vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
3. Delete data you aren’t using: It’s wise to regularly review and securely delete unnecessary data to minimize the risk of unauthorized access and reduce storage costs. Holding onto outdated data can be a liability. By cleaning out the digital clutter, you reduce your attack surface and boost your overall security posture.

Creating a data security policy is one of the best ways to establish clear guidelines and procedures for protecting your business’s information. This policy should cover data classification, access controls, incident response, and compliance requirements. Think of it as your business’s rulebook for data protection, ensuring that everyone knows their roles and responsibilities.

A well-defined policy helps prevent security incidents and allows for a coordinated response when they do occur, whether for data or cloud security.

Implementing data security management means setting up processes and technologies to monitor, detect, and respond to security threats. This includes deploying security information and event management (SIEM) systems, conducting regular security assessments, and focusing on ongoing compliance.

If you’re using internet-based storage solutions, keep data security posture management in mind, especially in cloud environments. Remember to stay up-to-date on cloud security best practices, and consider this your business’s security command center, constantly monitoring for threats and ready to spring into action.

Finding the right data security solutions can be a bit overwhelming, but breaking it down into manageable steps can make it easier. Start by identifying your biggest vulnerabilities and understanding the type of data you need to protect. This foundational step will help guide your selection of tools and solutions.

Next, prioritize options that are easy to use, scalable, and can integrate well with your existing systems. The best tools should fit seamlessly into what you already have in place, providing reliable protection without complicating things further. Since data security is part of your overall strategy, it should be able to grow and adapt to your business needs.

The right data security software can accomplish all of this and more. Security and privacy shouldn’t be an afterthought; they need to be at the forefront of your operations. Consider exploring how Salesforce data security platforms can help you further protect your information, your business, and your brand.