What is Data Protection and Why is it Important?

Data protection is the different measures for ensuring that data does not become corrupt or stolen. 

Explanation of Data Protection 

The purposes of devising data protection strategies is to ensure that the data is available whenever it is needed and that the data is managed properly so there are no interruptions. 

Businesses ensure data protection with backups. If the devices and systems containing the data are compromised or damaged for some reason, the affected system can be uninstalled and/or replaced by a new one. The backed up data is then retrieved using the new system. With this process, the data remains uncompromised and free from damage. 

Data Lifecycle Management

Data lifecycle management is an important aspect of the data management process. The purpose of data lifecycle management is to ensure that the data is automatically stored online or offline.

Businesses and individuals use different methods to back up their data. Some choose to store their data on a USB stick or external hard drive. Network-attached storage is a popular choice among businesses. This option automatically backs up the data; therefore, there is no risk of loss due to someone forgetting to back up. Wireless attached storage works with a variety of devices, including phones and tablets. However, network-attached storage is an expensive option. 

Third-party cloud storage is another option many use for storage. Dropbox, One Drive and Google Drive are some of the main players in this market. This form of storage is device agnostic and automatic; however, users don’t have control over the security aspect of the storage.

Protection of an Individual’s Data

In the case of individuals, data protection means protection of personal data. It is the responsibility of the business to ensure the protection of personal information of customers, employees and other parties according to the law. For this purpose, a business can also use a people search tool to see what information is publicly available about their customers.

Individuals have rights that define who can access their data, the ability to get data erased and rectified, etc. The personal information or personal data of individuals can include their names, addresses, job titles, ethnic background, biometrics, etc. Those collecting the data have certain obligations according to the law. For example, thy may have to ensure that the information is collected for specified purposes only and the information is kept up to date.

Information Lifecycle Management

Another aspect of data management is information lifecycle management. Information lifecycle management entails creating a strategy for protecting and cataloguing information assets. The strategy involves ensuring protection from malware, power outages, human error, etc. 

Types of Data Protection

Continuous Data Protection (CDP)

As the name suggests, in continuous data protection, all the data of the company is backed up continuously, without a schedule. Also known as a real-time backup, CDP is different from traditional protection because traditional backups are limited to restoring data from the time the backup was made. 

An important consideration for CDP is the cost factor. Systems that do not provide continuous protection but can provide close to continuous protection are normally cheaper and less complex. If backing up everything is not critical to the business, then having near-continuous protection may be a more suitable option then CDP.

Data Deduplication 

Data deduplication is an important concept with data backup. Deduplication is related to storage on disk drives, and it helps to improve the storage capacity by removing redundant data copies. 

Synchronous Mirroring 

Synchronous mirroring involves replicating data a disk drive at the same time as it is written on the local disk drive. An issue with synchronous mirroring is that if the data becomes corrupt, synchronous mirroring will store the corrupted data. Therefore, there will not be any option to go back to when the data was uncorrupted. 

RAID 

RAID is a data storage virtualization system that combines physical disk drives into one unit for storing the data. RAID has the same issue as synchronous mirroring when it comes to corrupted data.

Importance of Data Protection 

There were over 1,200 cases of data breaches in the US in 2018, according to a survey. Here are three reasons why data protection is important.

Security

Besides being a legal requirement, data protection is important because it can help in minimizing the threat from cybercriminals. Using proper measures to protect data will help in ensuring that important details, such as banking information and contact information, is not stolen from the records of the business. 

Reputation

Implementing proper data protection procedures also ultimately help in enhancing the reputation of the business. Fraudulent activity such as phishing scams and hacking are a concern for various businesses and many businesses have experienced data breaches. By taking customer data protection seriously, businesses can distinguish themselves from their competition and build trust in the process. 

Litigation

Not following data protection best practices can also affect the bottom line. Both employees and customers can sue for compensation due to their personal information being lost as a result of a data breach.