Data security comprises the processes and associated tools that protect sensitive information assets, either in transit or at rest. Data security methods include:
- Encryption (applying a keyed cryptographic algorithm so that data is not easily read and/or altered by unauthorized parties)
- Masking (substituting all or part of a high-value data item with a low-value representative token)
- Erasure (ensuring that data that is no longer active or used is reliably deleted from a repository)
- Resilience (creating backup copies of data so that organizations can recover data should it be erased or corrupted accidentally or stolen during a data breach)
