Today, privacy protection has become increasingly important for companies that handle large amounts of personal data. With cybersecurity threats on the rise, it is crucial to ensure that customers’ personal data is protected and secure. In this article, we will explain why masking personal data is essential for businesses and how Nymiz, with its data anonymization software, can help protect your information.
WHAT IS PERSONAL DATA MASKING?
Data masking is a technique that involves hiding or modifying sensitive personal data in documents and databases so that it becomes unrecognizable or incomprehensible to those who do not have authorized access. Data masking is a way of protecting the privacy of individuals whose data is being manipulated, as it prevents such data from being used maliciously or falling into the wrong hands.
Thanks to this technique, it is possible to preserve the integrity and consistency of the data, maintaining its basic structure and characteristics so that it remains useful for its intended purpose. In other words, even if the data have been modified, they are still valid for use in testing, analysis, software development, among other processes, without exposing the personal data of the individuals involved.
Data masking can be applied to different types of personal information, such as names, addresses, personal identification numbers, credit card numbers, among others. In addition, there are different masking techniques, such as erasure, character substitution, anonymization and encryption, each with its own advantages and disadvantages depending on the context in which they are used.
In the following section, the different types of data masking will be explained in detail.
DATA MASKING TECHNIQUES
There are different data masking techniques, each with its own advantages and disadvantages depending on the context in which they are used.
- One of the most common techniques is character substitution, which involves replacing some characters in personal data with dummy or randomly generated characters. This allows personal data to remain in the same format, but not be recognizable by those who do not have authorized access.
- Another technique is erasure, in which personal data is completely removed from records or documents. This technique can be effective, but it can also affect the integrity of the data and cause it to lose value for use in analysis and testing.
- Anonymization is another data masking technique that involves removing or modifying personal data so that it cannot be associated with a particular individual. This is achieved by removing unique identifiers, such as personal identification numbers, or aggregating data to create statistical information.
- Finally, encryption is a data masking technique that involves converting data into an unreadable format by applying an encryption algorithm. Data can only be decoded by those who have authorized access using a specific encryption key.
As mentioned above, choosing the right masking technique is crucial especially in cases where the value of the information is to be preserved.
In these circumstances, anonymization is considered a superior technique for the following reasons:
- Preserves useful information: Encryption and data erasure are techniques that remove or completely encrypt data, which can result in the loss of valuable information. In contrast, anonymization preserves useful information and maintains the value of the data while protecting the privacy of the individuals involved.
- Additional security: Encryption is a technique that protects data by using keys and algorithms to encrypt data. However, if a hacker obtains the encryption key, he can access the data. Anonymization, on the other hand, provides an additional layer of security by removing information that can identify the individuals involved.
- Greater flexibility: Anonymization allows companies to use data for multiple purposes, while erasure and encryption limit the ability to use data for purposes other than those originally intended.
IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL DATA MASKING FOR BUSINESSES
Data masking is essential for companies, as it allows them to avoid data exposure to cyber-attacks involving information leakage. By using masking techniques, companies can protect their sensitive personal information from potential security breaches and misuse.
In addition, implementing data masking techniques also helps companies comply with privacy laws, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
Another important advantage of data masking is that it enables the secure sharing of information without compromising the privacy of the individuals involved. In this way, companies can share data with third parties, perform software testing and analysis without the risk of violating users’ privacy.
Finally, the possibility of extracting value from masked information is a crucial factor to consider. However, to preserve the value of the information, it is necessary to apply anonymization techniques that maintain the context and readability of the data. This is especially important for companies that wish to use the data for analytics and software testing, as masked data can still provide valuable information without compromising the privacy of users.
BENEFITS OF PERSONAL DATA MASKING
Data masking can also be beneficial to a company’s reputation. By properly protecting the personal data of their customers and users, companies can demonstrate their commitment to privacy and information security. This can improve customers’ trust in the company and their willingness to share personal information in the future.
In addition, implementing data masking techniques can improve the efficiency of software testing and analysis processes by allowing data to be shared more easily without compromising the privacy of the individuals involved. This can save companies time and costs by enabling more effective and faster testing.
Another advantage of data masking is that it can help companies avoid potential fines and penalties for non-compliance with privacy laws. Failure to adequately protect personal data can result in significant fines and damage to a company’s reputation.
USE CASE EXAMPLES OF MASKING OF PERSONAL DATA IN COMPANIES
There are many use cases where masking of personal data is critical to enterprise data security and privacy. Here are some examples of use cases:
Software testing: software companies need to test in development and test environments with production-like data, but without compromising data privacy and security. Personal data masking is an effective technique to protect data privacy while performing the necessary testing.
Data analytics: companies use data analytics to obtain valuable information about customers, buying patterns and other data that enable them to improve their business. Masking of personal data can be used to protect the privacy of the individuals involved and to comply with privacy laws.
Data sharing: In some cases, companies need to share data with other companies or third parties. Personal data masking can be used to ensure that the privacy of the individuals involved is protected, while the data needed for collaboration can be shared securely.
Compliance with privacy laws: companies must comply with privacy laws, which often require the protection of personal data. Masking of personal data can be used to comply with these laws and avoid fines and penalties for non-compliance.
Anonymization of data for research use: In some cases, companies may use customer data for research or analysis. Personal data masking can be used to anonymize data and protect the privacy of the individuals involved while the necessary research is being conducted.
Ultimately, personal data masking is an important technique for protecting privacy and data security in companies.
In conclusion, personal data masking is a crucial technique to protect customer privacy and ensure the security of company data. Nymiz, with its data anonymization software, offers an effective and reliable solution for masking personal data in documents and databases, helping to protect companies’ information from potential cybersecurity threats. Thanks to artificial intelligence, Nymiz automates the task of masking data by being able to detect personal data by context.
