The amount of data produced by companies is growing exponentially and, at the same time, this information is becoming an increasingly central and strategic asset for a company. A truth that is especially true if the working environment is structured and complex.
For this reason, data protection strategies must guarantee not only data protection but also unprecedented business continuity. In fact, whereas once upon a time data were in some way linked above all to historical memory, today they are used in any context and in a multiplicity of activities that are useful for business. To lose or compromise them is to bring the organisation to a standstill, with the risk of incalculable damage.
Lost or missing data are business costs
Fortunately, even companies less inclined to change are beginning to understand the value of data, which is no longer speculative or conjectural. Suffice it to say that according to recent research the average cost of a data breach is $4.24 million. For this reason, it is necessary to implement increasingly advanced data protection methodologies, especially in complex environments where the number and type of interactions are difficult to manage.
The ‘new’ methodology for data protection is still based on the canonical principles of integrity, availability and confidentiality, but introduces the idea of management that is as centralised and scalable as possible. An orchestrated system, which allows the complexity to be delegated and focus more on managing the company’s business.
The five winning methodologies for complex environments
Although many companies – especially large ones where a good data culture is ingrained – already follow strict methods for protection and security, these are often tied to old patterns that do not take into account the complexity of today’s market. In this list of successful best practices, we present both more traditional methodologies and more evolved strategies, designed around the growing need for resilience in organisations.
1. Cryptography
In organisations where not only a lot of data but also various types of information circulate, the risk of data breaches is consumed both in terms of loss (e.g. of processing information or documentation) and in terms of theft (personal data, confidential information). In addition, data often transit, albeit securely, between endpoints, servers and the cloud. Encryption should be extended to all media, including removable archives and mobile devices, because it is one of the main deterrents against theft. In addition, the provision of encrypted archives and communications is also an important part of regulatory compliance, especially since the agile working scenario makes remote access very frequent.
2. Protection against physical damage
Although the traditional backup paradigm shows its weaknesses, it is undeniable that damage to physical media is still one of the main causes of data loss. In this context, the combination of Cloud and Edge computing offers the possibility of implementing agile and effective solutions, where, for example, the first replication of data takes place within the corporate structure on Edge servers, while external replication takes place via the Cloud. The possibility of backups in the form of snapshots also makes it possible to guarantee high levels of business continuity.
3. Security Tools in the Cloud
As mentioned earlier, there are now managed cloud solutions that allow security operations to be centralised, both in terms of policy management and in terms of actual data protection. Working on a single dashboard or a single ecosystem that centralises all aspects of security makes it possible, at least in day-to-day operations, to simplify and govern complexity.
4. Training and data culture
Although this is not a technical methodology, it is a fundamental aspect. Even today, in fact, a considerable percentage of data breaches and data loss is due to human error. Training staff on a technical level, but especially from the point of view of understanding the importance of data, is one of the most effective ways of improving security.
5. Mobile data protection
Mobile devices are still a puzzle in many data storage contexts. Proprietary solutions, technological limitations and lack of compatibility are still obstacles to standardisation in this context. However, by using selective synchronisation systems, it is possible to safeguard, if not the business continuity of the devices, at least the important data stored on them.