This is a fundamental principle of the data privacy jurisprudence that the organization cannot disclose personal information without having prior consent of the data subject unless it is required by law. Global data privacy laws imbibed this principle, and require the organizations, having data subject’s consent, to implement tools and techniques those assist in minimum disclosure of information only on need to know basis. Compliance with such global data privacy laws is significant for both Customer and service provider. Even, Indian organizations rendering outsourcing services to multi-national companies are required by such laws and customer contracts to ensure compliance.
(Read more: Under the hood of Top 4 BYOD Security Technologies: Pros & Cons)
Read more: CISO Platform to acquire the rights of “Top 100 CISO Awards”
Data sanitization or data masking is the technique that may be used as one of the solutions for such minimum disclosure principle. Data Sanitization refers to anonymization of data, or the process of using techniques to sanitize data by means of masking, removing or substituting personally identifiable information in order to safeguard privacy and ensuring security risks. Data sanitization assists the organization in concealing personal data or information and other sensitive business data element in any record. The basic purpose behind the usage of data sanitization is that if data has been de-identified, such data must be recoverable in its original or identifiable form whenever is needed by an authorized person.
Data sanitization has the capabilities to accomplish this purpose and provide various business and technical benefits, because of them it is widely used process by the industry for de-identification of information:
- The process for disguising data reduces risk exposure, controls, and implementation efforts pertaining to personal data.
- Help in utilizing the optimum resources of the company in terms of technology and human resource. Often, complex technologies are used in implementing multi-layer security. Data sanitization reduces certain amount of resources as well as responsibilities in implementing, maintaining and monitoring the security layers.
- Increase the capabilities of the organization in handling large amount of data
- Usage of adequate data sanitization solution improves the trust relationship with, and increases the satisfaction of, the customers and may assist in gaining long term business.
- Support in obeying the duties of data controller and data processor
- Increase the adherence level with the applicable laws and regulations
- Reduce the chances of getting non-conformities or observations during audit
(Read more: BYOD Security: From Defining the Requirements to Choosing a Vendor)
Click here: Vendor Strengths and Cautions
Before implementing into production environment, data sanitization solution should be evaluated in view of all related considerations. We can divide the entire evaluation methodology into four drivers – Identification of requirements, assessing the product based on its capabilities and features, execution data sanitization process and, at last, evaluation the result before inducing it in production environment. If the product fails in meeting the organization needs, the organization should re-initiate the entire process with new solution.
Conclusion, when the organization is implementing its IT architecture, it should take care of data privacy solution available in market and should make such solution of the part of the IT strategy.
End of Article.
More: Join the community of 1400+ Chief Information Security Officers. Click here
Comments