The art of understanding data sensitivity

Introduction to Data Security

Angeline Corvaglia

Founder & Digital Transformation Specialist

Data sensitivity is of paramount importance

  icon representing data security

 

Sensitive data needs extra protection because of the risks associated with it falling into the wrong hands

It is about determining:

  • What data needs to be protected
  • Who should access it
  • How to safeguard it best
Introduction to Data Security

The risks of mismanagement

  • Data breaches
  • Unauthorized access
  • Compliance issues
  • Reputation
  • Customer trust
  • Fines, legal fees, and lost customers
  • Personally Identifiable Information (PII) can cause significant damage if in the wrong hands

icon representing personally identifiable information

Introduction to Data Security

Public versus private data

Confidentiality, importance, and protection based on its potential impact

icons representing not secret vs secret data

Introduction to Data Security

Group data by risk and impact

 

  • Public
  • Internal
  • Confidential
  • Top Secret

 

With each group, the level of sensitivity of the data increases

icon with each of the different data risk groups

Introduction to Data Security

Public data

Generally accessible to anyone

No negative impact linked to people seeing it

icon representing public data

  1. Public social media posts
  2. Website content
  3. Company press releases
Introduction to Data Security

Internal data

Only for employees or trusted partners of a company

Moderate negative potential impact if unauthorized people see it

icon representing internal data

  1. Meeting minutes
  2. Internal worker notes
  3. Company policies
Introduction to Data Security

Confidential data

Private and needs protection

Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

icon representing confidential data

  1. Customer phone numbers
  2. Personal bank account numbers
  3. Private strategic plans
Introduction to Data Security

Top-secret data

Highly confidential

Significant damage to a company if unauthorized persons access it

icon representing top-secret data

  1. Scientific research
  2. Government intelligence
  3. Sensitive personal information such as US Social Security numbers
Introduction to Data Security

What everyone should know

  Shield icon to represent a data defender

 

  1. Their company's data classification levels
  2. Who should be able to access each level
  3. Rules for putting data into each group
  4. What counts as PII
  5. How to handle data based on sensitivity levels
  6. Process for reporting potential data breaches
Introduction to Data Security

Real-life consequences at Equifax

Exposed the Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of 147 million people

icon representing Equifax data breach

Significant cost and reputational damage

  • $1.4 billion for technology infrastructure cleanup and security improvement
  • Over $400 million in fines
1 CSO Online, United States Federal Trade Commission
Introduction to Data Security

Let's practice!

Introduction to Data Security

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