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Data protection is a critical aspect of modern information security, especially in industries like healthcare and finance, where handling sensitive data such as patient records and cardholder information requires strict oversight and adherence to regulatory standards.
The image illustrates data protection in healthcare and finance, highlighting patients and cardholder information as areas requiring heightened scrutiny and audit requirements.
To effectively secure sensitive information, it is important to understand several key concepts including data types, classification methods, and the corresponding security measures required for each type. Data classification involves organizing information based on its usage, structure, and inherent sensitivity. This process is vital for analyzing, processing, and ultimately safeguarding the data. The primary data categories include:
  • Regulated Data
  • Trade Secrets
  • Legal Data
  • Financial Data
  • Human-Readable Data
  • Non-Human-Readable Data
Classifying data correctly helps organizations apply the most appropriate controls to protect each category of information.

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Regulated Data

Regulated data comprises information that must adhere to specific legal and regulatory mandates regarding its handling, protection, and storage. These provisions are designed to ensure the privacy, security, and proper usage of highly sensitive details such as personally identifiable information (PII).
The image illustrates the concept of regulated data, showing that information must adhere to regulatory or legal requirements, with emphasis on handling, protecting, and storing the data.
The image shows a triangular diagram with arrows labeled "Privacy of data," "Security of data," and "Appropriate use of data," under the heading "Regulated Data." The word "Sensitive" is also present.
Examples of regulated data include:
  • Healthcare records
  • Financial information
  • Social security numbers
  • Birth dates
  • Credit card details

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Trade Secrets

Trade secrets are non-public, proprietary information that gives a business its competitive edge. This category includes confidential data such as customer lists, marketing strategies, formulas, and other critical business insights that, if disclosed, could benefit competitors. Legal data covers documents such as contracts, court filings, and legal agreements. This information is crucial for corporate governance and ensuring that organizations comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

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Financial Data

Financial data pertains to a company’s financial activities, performance, and transactions. This sensitive information includes accounting ledgers, transactional records, and other data directly related to financial operations.
The image is a diagram showing a building icon connected to three categories: Financial Activities, Financial Performance, and Transactions.
Accounting details and transactional records are prime examples of financial data:
The image is a diagram titled "Financial Data" with examples including "Accounting Ledgers," "Transactional Records," and "Transactional Data."

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Data Classification by Readability

Data can also be classified based on its readability:
  • Human-Readable Data: This includes documents, emails, presentations, and other content that can be easily interpreted by people.
The image is a diagram categorizing "Human-Readable Data" into three types: Documents, Emails, and Presentations. Each category is represented with an icon.
  • Non-Human-Readable Data: This category consists of binary files, source code, or encrypted information that requires specialized tools or processing to be understood.
Understanding these classifications is essential for implementing the appropriate security measures tailored to each type of data.
By accurately classifying data, organizations can tailor their security strategies to ensure robust protection across all data types.

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