Data classification is among the most basic organizational practices that ensure sensitive information is safely guarded and its regulation and compliance are easier to implement. Proper data classification allows organizations to handle data according to sensitivity, thus reducing risks related to data disclosure and unauthorized access.
Understanding Labels and Their Impact
Data classification involves the labeling of data regarding its sensitivity and importance. For example, a company could classify data according to “Confidential”, “Internal Use Only”, or “Public”. Such would give a better understanding of how the employees should handle the data.
Example: A financial institution would label customer financial information as “Confidential” to limit access to persons with a need to know. If sensitive information is not marked or is incorrectly marked, the consequences can be very serious, such as regulatory fines or even loss of customer confidence.
Security Compartments: A Layered Approach
Security compartments are the physical or logical separation of information based on their classification, which in turn provides the guarantee that sensitive information will remain stored and accessed within a controlled setting.
Example: A health care organization would implement security compartments to separate patient records from administrative documents. By doing so, they would then be able to establish more rigid controls around the access of patient data to guarantee compliance with regulations such as HIPAA.
Clearance Levels: Who Gets to See What?
A clearance defines the extent of the right of an individual to handle data according to his or her role, sensitivity, and exposure. Workers must have the proper clearance so that they may be given access to information that is not open.
For example, within a government agency, an individual cleared to “Top Secret” may access sensitive information that is not available to another colleague who may be cleared to “Confidential.” This reduces the possibility of sensitive information falling into unauthorized hands.
The Role of Formal Access Approval
Formal processes for approval of access require permission to be granted to individuals before they are allowed to access sensitive data. This can involve a documented request and approval from a supervisor or the owner of the data.
Example: An IT technician would need to formally request access to a database containing employee personal information. It provides a duplicate layer to ensure that access is granted only when required and a record is kept of who accessed the data.
Need to Know: Access Control Based on Need
The “Need to Know” principle offers guidelines as to where information is needed. The principle will ensure that sensitive information is only divulged to persons who need such information to perform their duties. This will go a long way in reducing the number of people who have access to sensitive information and therefore avoid unnecessary exposure to sensitive information.
Example: A marketing employee in an organization does not need to access budget reports from the finance department. Using the “Need to Know” principle, an organization reduces the possibility of accidental data leakage.
Sensitive Information and Media Protection
Sensitive information and media protection involves a series of security controls that permit protection for data that is labeled sensitive. Encryption, access controls, and secure storage solutions are some examples.
Example: A law firm could encrypt all the case files of clients stored on their servers through some encryption software. This way, even if there is any unauthorized access, data would still not be readable without a proper decryption key.
Conclusion
Data classification is a necessary and vital step in security for an organization not only to avoid the disclosure of data but also to maintain legal requirements. Correct labeling, security compartments, clearance levels, formal access approval, the “Need to Know” principle, and sensitive information security measures-all these will bring down the risk of data disclosure way down, and cybersecurity posture will be notably improved.