#information security classification

[secureislands-blog]

What Is Information Security Classification (And Why It Matters)

A robust information security classification plan is the very first step to building a secure and protected organization. By classifying data, you can determine who is and who is not authorized to access certain information.  For example, if you have high risk data, it would likely be classified as being “confidential” because it requires a greater level of protection.  Low risk data, however, could be labelled “public” or “internal” because that data requires far less protection.

What Are Different Levels Of Data Security Classification?

Information and data security classification systems can be customized by a security solutions firm based on your specific business needs, but a data classification system is typically structured as follows:

Public

Information which falls under this category is defined as having no local, national or international legal restrictions and it may or must be open to the general public.  Some examples of public data include:

·         Publicly posted announcements about new jobs

·         Public press releases

·         Publicly available marketing or research materials

Internal

Data which falls under this category is that which must be guarded because of:

·         Proprietary considerations

·         Ethical considerations

·         Privacy considerations

The information must be protected from any unauthorized access, transmission, modification or storage (though there may not be an active statute which requires this level of protection). Examples of this type of information are contracts or business partner information where a restrictive confidentiality agreement no longer exists.

Confidential Data

This data is highly sensitive and is intended for very specific eyes only.  Typically explicit authorization will need to be granted by the Data Steward because of contractual, privacy or legal constraints.

Regulatory Data Classification

This type of data is sensitive in nature and access is restricted because this information is protected by statues and regulations.  It is also governed by a council or regulatory body regarding the investigation, reporting, response and handling of such incidents.  Disclosures of this information is limited to individuals on a need-to-know basis and are rare.

Organizations of all sizes and scope must adopt a common set of relationships and terms in order to clearly communication and then begin to classify data types.  Data classification solutions will go a long way in helping you determine what level of protection certain pieces of data require so that they are not accessed by unauthorized parties.

No One-Size-Fits-All Solution

Data classification is important because it defines the data protection requirements which are necessary in order to keep a certain piece of data safe, secure and in compliance.  Once an organization has figured out which pieces of data needs the most protection, you can then work on allocating funds and resources to defend those assets.

At the end of the day, data classification is not only ensure that your information remains safe.  Having a proper data classification scheme is cost effective, allowing an organization to better focus on protecting its higher risk data assets while spending less resources on data which, in some instances, should be public domain in the first place.

[secureislands-blog]

Security that Gets to the Point

There is no escaping computer use and digital data in today’s work environment.  There is also little chance that people will stop taking advantage of the availability of shared data.  Dishonesty, unfortunately, is often a part of life in the business world. While everyone is familiar with the importance of keeping business quarters and computers safe from outside sources, the possibility of data loss can get overlooked to some extent.  This is why data-centric security is so important.

 What is Data-Centric?

It is exactly what it sounds like, a security solution aimed strictly at the data your company depends on. Centered on your information and the routes it takes, this type of security has everything to do with how your company uses data every day.  In large companies especially, data goes through many different avenues.  Some documents need to be viewed and worked on by several individuals before reaching its final destination.  This can lead to unprotected exposure in many different environments.  If the information ends up on a personal computer or device, the safety of your information is extensively compromised.  Data-centric looks at how your information is stored, how it travels, and how it is used.  Solutions are put into place to protect against known and perceived threats. There are excellent new options geared towards making your data unavailable to the wrong hands.  

 How is this security implemented?

There are many different tactics employed in a true data-centric security system.  Software is essential in keeping a lot of information safe and placing restrictions on access and usage.  However, without proper management, this can easily be misused. All employees need to be trained in data safety.  That said, employees are often the culprits of data compromise.  Once risks are assessed, it is important to standardize use and access policies.  This may mean a less liberal work environment for many businesses.  Personal computer use with business information may need to be avoided completely.  If data is stored in a purely business location, many threats disappear.  The proper software, business policy, and risk assessment are valid tools in implementing data-centric security measures.

 Clients and Outgoing Information

This part may be best handled by the software, but proper training is still helpful.  Many employees type without thinking and do not understand the weight a simple email can bear.  Client personal account information is available to employees working with customers.  There has to be some prevention plan in place considering the propriety of each person hired that contributes to the protection of this information. Otherwise, software aimed and verification and encryption techniques will need to be implemented to maintain the privacy of this type of information.  

 Data-centric starts with a good employee base.  The reality is that people are still at the root of running a business.   Software programs and authorization techniques can be put into place to protect against any harm that could come when employees act dishonorably, but it is a good idea to screen the people you will be working with as thoroughly as possible.  Take a look at everything your data is exposed to in a day and take the time to implement proper precautions. For more information on data-centric security, visit:  http://www.secureislands.com/about-us/

[threatprotection-blog]

Data Classification Policy

These days we tend to be somewhat blasé about the information stored on business computer networks, but have you considered how sensitive much of it can be? We read all the time of cases of data and information theft plus DDoS attacks – sometimes in relation to major corporations who one would think have the best available security. The information on your system may be of interest to many unscrupulous persons.

Make no mistake, small and medium sized businesses are just as likely to be targeted as bigger corporations. The smaller the business the more likely it is to have lax network security, and there will be information to be found that can be of interest. Pay attention to public WiFi hotspots also, as these are prime targets for hackers and make for easy pickings as they are notoriously insecure. So, what do you do to ensure the highest level of data protection?

Information security classification systems effectively apply a classification to all data at source, and in doing so set up a viable user restriction system by which only those with access can view the information therein. This is the first step in ensuring your network and information is secure.

Sometimes it is easy to forget that, in addition to threats from outside, there is also the problem of data security problems from within the organisation. Instances where persons access information they do not have authorisation for are occurring all the time – sometimes by deliberate acts, others by mistake – and a data classification policy will help guard against this.

There is plenty of information regarding salaries, personal details of employees, contracts, production schedules, suppliers stored on every network, and often in the form of commercially available software packages such as Microsoft Office, PDF files, Microsoft Outlook and others. As these are well known and in the public domain they are vulnerable, so you need the very best data classification policy you can implement.

A data security classification system will classify and immunize every file that is created at source; this will also include usage rights. These usage rights are to stay as stated for the lifetime of the data packets involved, and hence there is no chance of anyone who is not authorised getting their hands on the information within. Furthermore, accidental access is also no longer possible.

The immunization also applies to many functions, for example a certain individual may be able to read a document but not change, print or save it. This is a further benefit of the top level data security policy solutions, and one that is very much welcome. Such innovation in developing software so capable means that in the unlikely event somebody happens to see sensitive information, they cannot duplicate it anywhere else.

Information security classification is a valid and proven method of ensuring the highest levels of security protection for information stored and transferred within your organisation. It is both affordable and efficient, and also highly automated so takes little in the way of manpower. The fact is that the threats will continue to become more sophisticated and innovative, but information security classification solutions mean the possibility of accessing information and using it against the owners is only going to become more difficult, so check out the available systems now and  make sure yours is thoroughly up to date.

[threatprotection-blog]

A Data-Centric Security Approach to Business

Technology has certainly come to the forefront of nearly every type of business today, and it can play an important role in the overall success or failure of your business. As important as it is for you to have things like a website, solid email and a social media presence so that you can interact with customers, what is even more important is that you have the right methods and protocols in place to help protect the information of your business. All of those other aspects are great but when something happens to your data your business can grind to a halt and may not easily bounce back.

Thinking about Your Data is Primary

It may seem out of the ordinary than what is usual business but having a data-centric security approach to your business can save you from a lot of problems and headaches. If you take the right approach right from the start with your business then you will already have the proper plans in place that can help provide you with the protection and security you need so your information is safe. You need to have your IT department work closely with important management personnel so that you can set up the proper security policies for the use of information and who can access it and how. You also want to take the time to find the right type of security software that can provide you with the layers of protection you need for your business.

Consider the Data You Need to Protect Most

When you are looking over all of the different types of information that you are going to have to protect you will need to decide the solutions for each type of data and how well each needs to be guarded from both the inside and the outside. You want the proper protection from hackers and thieves trying to get in but you also do not want just anyone to be able to tap into sensitive customer and corporate information, so you need to protect data from within as well.

It is important today that your company enlist a data-centric security approach to business no matter what type of business you may have and no matter how big or small you may be. There are always people on the lookout for ways to get vital information from a business and giving yourself the right levels of protection will help prevent catastrophic events from occurring to you like you read about in the news all of the time. A little bit of sensible preparation and readiness ahead of time can provide you with the software, solutions and policies you need to stay safe.

For more useful information on data-centric security: http://www.secureislands.com/about-us/

[threatprotection-blog]

What is data-centric security?

The modern business world has a strong focus on data and data storage. More and more companies work in the IT industry, and provide data services to customers which can be extremely sensitive. With an increased use of virtual data for even the most private of information, there has come an increased risk of data-theft, known as hacking or cyber-attacks. Despite the risks which companies face from these intruders, the majority of companies still store secured data in situ, rather like burying treasure where it lands, rather than securing it in a chest and in a secret location. This casual approach to data protection makes it very easy for data thieves to steal sensitive information without having to work hard or even bypass high security.

Why companies fail in defending data

Businesses' casual treatment of high-risk data is even more surprising when you consider that companies are required to defend their client's data, and to protect it from theft by law, as well as the fact that most customers expect a high level of protection for financial accounts and personal information. If companies are defending this data responsibly, but ignoring their own, then they are being careless with their own information, and making them an attractive proposition for hackers and cyber-thieves.  Companies may believe that they are protecting their data with secure networks and encryption, but in fact some companies are still exposing themselves to risk. They need better protection for their data than simply connecting it into their network security.

Using specialist protection software

This is where data-centric security systems come in to their own. They are designed to protect data where it lies, rather than just the network it is on. This type of security system has a number of different elements, including encryption, which is designed to prevent data being read even if it is accessed. With encryption, only those users who are authorised can read the information, and when it is read by unapproved users, it is simply a handful of random data. This removes the usefulness of the data, preventing hackers from using the information to commit fraud or expose clients.

What makes information protection different?

Unlike firewalls and other forms of protection, data-centric security doesn't defend information in a single place. Instead, it defends the data by protecting each unique piece of information. In order to be useful to a business, this security software must be able to protect data which is being moved from one location in the network to another, and whether it is defined as structured or unstructured. It must also allow the policies of the company to operate throughout the defensive layers, while also being able to work through all of the different technologies that are used in a typical business setting. 

A company offering data-centric security solutions:  http://www.secureislands.com/company/aboutus.html