In the modern world, information is like the gold that we are earnestly looking for. Information flows and everything in the global economy is about information. We protect our oil and gold with all our hearts and this zeal must also be applied to data and that is why data integrity is now at the forefront. Let’s know the meaning of Data integrity.
Data Integrity definition
Data integrity can be defined as the property of information that is unaltered between modifications. Data integrity is always connected to databases and servers because this is where most of the world’s information is stored.
The following are some dimensions of data integrity:
Safe storage
Data that has not been modified and altered can always be used for a good purpose. A good example is when you have information of a customer that is stored in a server.
Auditing of data
Another key point is the fact that data can be audited and verified and the changes can be easily be detected. Organizations that work with sensitive data such as payments and health data should always be updated in case information is altered.
Can data integrity be compromised?
Data integrity can always be compromised in different ways but this can be categorized into two major groups:-
- Cyberattacks
- Technical errors
Ever since things begun going digital, hackers have been looking for ways that they can extort money from people through. Many companies have suffered from data breaches and most of them to lose customer trust due to that reason. Close 70% of data breaches take place because of weak passwords.
The good news is that regulators are now cracking down on companies that are not protecting their customers’ data.
Employee education
It is common knowledge that all data in the organization must pass through certain employees. These are the people that are responsible with issues that deal with data integrity and so any issue with regards to security should start with them.
There are instances that employees want to share accounts due to work related issues. Such issues should be dealt with using password managers. This allows for the sharing of account login info but will not reveal the password that was used to access the account with.
Employees should also be taught to be vigilant at all times and should easily identify when there is a problem. There are many signs of hacking but most of them are silent.
Encryption
It is important that data needs to be encrypted such that when data falls on the wrong hands, the files will never be accessed without a decryption key. This kind of protection is very necessary; it will prevent situations where a hacker would wants to acquire the files that may be stored in a database.
This format is the best and will keep data safe at all times even in cases of data leaks. The hacker cannot do anything until he decrypts the files in his possession.
Metadata
Metadata can be described as data within a data and a good example to show this would be having database info about vendors and suppliers where all forms of data are recorded.
