Data security essentials

1. Data security essentials

Welcome to this course, where you will gain a solid understanding of the foundations of data security. My name is Angeline Corvaglia, and I'll be your instructor. I look forward to equipping you with essential skills and knowledge to help you become a successful data defender.

2. What is data security?

Data security refers to safeguarding digital information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Yet, learning about data security isn’t just about the data. It's about gaining valuable skills and knowledge to protect yourself in a world that is more and more driven by data.

3. Confidentiality, integrity, availability

Ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data is at the heart of data security. Data confidentiality ensures that data is only accessible to authorized individuals or systems. Data integrity ensures that information remains accurate and unchanged. Data availability ensures that data is accessible and usable when needed. Together, they guide how data should be handled to ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks. Yet, seeking compliance alone is insufficient. Proactive measures are necessary to avoid costly data breaches.

4. Sensitive data

A core concept in data security is understanding which data is sensitive and warrants extra protection. Understanding the nuances of data sensitivity is essential for choosing the most effective mechanisms for data protection. It helps identify the appropriate security controls, develop a comprehensive data security plan, and prioritize and effectively allocate resources.

5. Other elements of data security

Ensuring data security requires a comprehensive approach that includes operational models, regulatory compliance, and strategies for data protection. The overarching principle is that data security is fundamentally about having the right mindset. It prioritizes proactive communication and fosters a company culture that values data protection.

6. Data security is an ever-changing realm

Data security is an ever-changing realm. For example, the explosion in the usage of generative AI has brought new cyber threats, sophisticated ways to exploit human error, and refined abilities to bypass security controls.

7. Current threats and lessons learned

This course will examine data security concepts in light of current threats and lessons learned from the past. To do this, we will explore real-life data breaches, their causes, and their consequences. Let's look at the data breaches we will utilize throughout the course.

8. Real-life data breaches

In 2021, the Dallas Police Department suffered a massive data security incident that destroyed over 8 million files, including critical case evidence. Over 17.000 cases were impacted by the loss. In 2018, DailyQuiz was the victim of a data breach. The login credentials of over 1 million users were stolen. The incident is estimated to have cost the company millions of dollars in lost revenue and legal fees. In 2016, Yahoo experienced a series of significant data breaches that affected over 3 billion user accounts. The breaches significantly impacted Yahoo's reputation and financial performance. In 2017, Equifax experienced a massive data breach that affected the personal data of over 147 million people. he breach had a devastating impact on Equifax's reputation and financial performance.

9. Risks when leveraging AI

As we mentioned earlier in the video, organizations face a new set of risks when leveraging AI's power more broadly. For example, in June 2023, Wiz Research discovered that a Microsoft AI researcher had accidentally exposed 38 terabytes of private data while sharing open-source AI training material.

10. It's all about the people

Although each breach had unique circumstances, they have one thing in common. In each case, the people involved could have done better to protect the company. Two critical factors in keeping data safe are education and awareness. In this course we will give you the foundation to become a better data defender!

11. Let's practice!

Now that we've outlined the data security essentials, let's practice!

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