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Computer security is a key part of any organization deploying any kind IT infrastructure owing to the rise in security threats in the world. One essential component of security structure is the implementation of strategies about endpoint data protection.
In this article, we will look at the steps to endpoint data protection, data protection strategies and the factors to keep in mind when evaluating endpoint data protection.
What is Endpoint data Protection?
The definition of data protection varies according to different security experts but it can best be defined as the process securing end user devices in a network infrastructure like mobile phones, tablets, PCs and hardware devices like servers.
To subvert system, malicious actors follow the process of sealing loopholes presented by devices.
Steps for enterprise data protection:
Now that we know the importance of data protection, it is important to understand the basic steps for implementing enterprise data protection. The following steps will help your devise an effective policy.
- Data Classification
The first important part of enterprise data protection is to come up with a plan to classify enterprise information. The classification should focus on separating data into categories such as financial, customer, intellectual property information.
The classification algorithm should also define the owners of the information and the people who can access the data in the realm of the permissions defined for the data classes.
- Data Flow Architecture
Controlling the flow of information in the company is also essential in data protection. This can be implemented by well-crafted architectures that show the flow of critical information around your organization.
By critical information, think of things like credit card information that call for data protection controls. The best way achieve this kind of control is to deploy a standard like the Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standards.
- Encryption
Cryptographic algorithms have been the smartest way to secure data in various communication channels and they can be very useful in enterprise data protection.
This is to imply that any sensitive data e.g. credit card information should be ciphered with standardized protocols to prevent the chances of attacks from eavesdroppers.
- Data Security Policies
Policies are very useful in defining the regulations of technology deployment in a given organization. This is especially important in companies that fancy Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trends but with poor control over this kind of structure, things may turn sour.
Such policies can include implementations like two-factor authentications, remote data deletion in the case of endpoint devices among others.
- Up To Date Systems
Technology is fast-paced thus what works today might not work tomorrow. Attackers are always on the hunt for sophisticated ways of subverting systems therefore you have not time to rest!
In fact, with data protection, you should never compromise with Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) updates and hardware upgrades.
Data protection strategy
The strategies employed to protect data vary depending on the size of institutions-large businesses expected to use expensive mechanisms and vice versa. Regardless of the size, the target is always the same-to develop an insurance policy on sensitive data. The following techniques and schemes can be considered when creating data protection strategies:
- Backup and Storage Encryption
A good way to safeguard data is to frequently data backup with secured storage systems. One efficient method to do this is to implement an encryption at hardware levels. An example of a great encryption scheme for your disks is the fully disk encryption (FDE) algorithm. This algorithm converts your data into a secure form that cannot be easily reverse engineered. FDE is usually installed on a computing device at the point of manufacture or after by installing a driver afterwards.
- Data Lifecycle Management (DLM)
This is an automatic approach used to define the movement of critical data to offline and online storage locations. In Data Lifecycle Management (DLM) mechanism, data is classified by age and storing them in different locations based on this factor.
- Information Lifecycle Management
This method is similar to DLM but this time it concentrates in information. In essence, ILM involves valuing, protecting, and cataloguing information content.
Key consideration for Endpoint data protection evaluation
The question now is, what will you consider when evaluating endpoint data protection solutions? Well, everyone has his/her nomenclature but here are the foundations that you could build on.
- Impact of the Network Infrastructure
Networks are important assets to daily functions of a business hence they should be well protected from failure and reduced performance. Endpoint data backup through networks could slow down networks meaning techniques that minimize network impacts, which are more palatable. Data deduplication is a great way to minimize such impacts while also saving on costs.
- Impact on Users
The heart of business solutions is to offer better solutions to users. Therefore, there is no point in bringing a solution that would influence negatively to the end user. A data protection solution that reduces the productivity of your business will seriously derail your returns.
- Manageability And Flexibility
Most businesses run on a very tight IT budget thus it is important to look for a solution that can be handled within the sphere of your IT personnel. Easier solutions are the better route that you could leverage some existing infrastructure such as Microsoft Active Directory for central management. A solution should also afford you the flexibility to choose bespoke configurations-cloud or premise solutions. A flexible solution will also afford a choice to a business on how much policy control is given to the end-user.
- Security
Any endpoint data solution should offer security aspects that will work in various environments. A good way to achieve this feat is through data encryption during flow or at rest. Data should also be rendered useless whenever there is a security breach like hardware theft. Securing metadata used in encryption is one other way of tightening security.
Conclusion:
Endpoint data protection is bound to grow colossal in the near future as technology evolves further. No one fancies data breach and losses thus it is always better to ensure that your organization is on the safe side with well-crafted data protection strategies.
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