What are the most effective policies for securing data storage?

1 Encrypt your data

One of the most basic and effective policies for securing data storage is to encrypt your data, both in transit and at rest. Encryption is the process of transforming data into an unreadable format that can only be decrypted with a key. By encrypting your data, you ensure that only authorized parties can access and use it, and that any intercepted or stolen data is useless to attackers. There are different types of encryption, such as symmetric, asymmetric, and hybrid, and different methods, such as AES, RSA, and SSL/TLS. You should choose the encryption type and method that best suit your data storage needs and security requirements.

2 Manage your keys

Another important policy for securing data storage is to manage your keys properly. Keys are the secret codes that are used to encrypt and decrypt data, and they are the cornerstone of data security. If your keys are lost, stolen, or compromised, your data is vulnerable to unauthorized access and manipulation. Therefore, you should follow best practices for key management, such as generating strong and random keys, storing them securely and separately from your data, rotating them regularly, and revoking them when necessary. You should also use a trusted key management service (KMS) that can help you create, manage, and protect your keys.

4 Audit your activity

A fourth policy for securing data storage is to audit your activity on your data. Auditing is the process of recording and reviewing the actions and events that occur on your data, such as who accessed what data, when, where, and how. By auditing your activity on your data, you can monitor and verify the compliance of your data storage policies, detect and investigate any anomalies or incidents, and improve your data security performance. There are different tools and methods for auditing your activity on your data, such as logs, alerts, and reports. You should choose the auditing tool and method that best support your data storage needs and security goals.

6 Update your software

A sixth policy for securing data storage is to update your software frequently. Software is the set of programs and applications that you use to store, process, and access your data, such as operating systems, databases, and frameworks. By updating your software frequently, you can fix any bugs or vulnerabilities that may affect your data security, and benefit from the latest features and improvements that may enhance your data performance. You should follow best practices for software update, such as checking for and applying updates regularly, verifying the source and integrity of the updates, and testing the compatibility and functionality of the updates.