Organizations collect and process numerous types of data with varying levels of sensitivity. All employees must understand the nature of the data they come into contact with and how it should be classified and protected.
A guide to understanding data handling
Every organization collects and processes data as part of normal operations, and all data has the potential to contain sensitive information. This may include personally identifiable information, such as names, addresses, social security numbers, and banking account numbers, which could be used by a malicious third-party to identify consumers or employees.
Other types of sensitive data include confidential internal company information like sales figures, client lists, or intellectual property.
The privacy of this data must be protected to maintain regulatory compliance and prevent harm. Anyone who comes into contact with sensitive data must understand how to properly handle and secure it to prevent exposure or unauthorized access.
Key elements of a robust data handling policy
With a data handling policy, businesses can ensure the safe and effective processing of sensitive information. Such a policy is essential for maintaining data integrity and supporting the overall success and sustainability of the organization.
A company’s data handling policy must include guidelines on data collection, storage, use, and disposal while protecting against breaches and unauthorized access.
For example, a policy needs to outline measures for access limitation. Access to sensitive data must be limited to employees who need it to perform a specific job function. Access should be terminated as soon as that need expires. To aid in incident response, sensitive data access must be logged to keep track of who has access to sensitive data and why, when data was accessed and by whom, and any changes that were made.
It is also necessary to have guidelines on security measures. Sensitive data must be stored properly in locations secured with adequate access controls and encryption. Data storage systems must be protected from unauthorized access and tampering with physical security measures such as locked doors and security cameras, as well as technological security controls like firewalls and antivirus software.
All employees are responsible for using strong passwords to prevent unauthorized users from compromising their accounts to access confidential data.
Employees must also apply recommended security updates and software patches to any systems used to access data and must protect systems with company-issued or approved antivirus software.
In addition, the policy should account for the secure disposal of data. Sensitive data must be disposed of according to all applicable laws and standards. Before disposing of physical media containing sensitive data, it must be altered or destroyed to ensure data recovery is impossible.
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