Data security software guards digital data from insecure access, theft or manipulation. It encompasses multiple tools and technologies, such as encryption, logging, monitoring, and data loss prevention. It also includes policies and procedures, as well as tools to handle data breaches.
Cybercriminals are not the only one of the numerous threats to data security. Human error is still the leading source of data breaches. Data security tools have capabilities to detect mistakes, like placing sensitive files on shared drives and opening emails with incorrect attachments.
Limiting physical access to storage devices and servers is a different aspect of data security. Physical security measures could be such things as requiring employees sign in prior to entering a building. They should also consider labeling and securing hardware to ensure only authorized personnel have access to it. This is especially important for cloud-based data centres, where you might not be able to control the physical space.
Data security solutions can safeguard information in transit and at rest by encrypting data to ensure that only those with the correct key are able to read it. This is often a complementary tool for firewalls, intrusion detection or prevention systems (IDS/IPS), and networks-based authentication systems.
Another feature that protects data is user behavior analytics, which sets norms of normal activity and identifies any anomalies that could indicate unauthorised access to sensitive information. This feature is typically found in solutions for monitoring data warehouses, relational databases and big data.