In a world where threats to sensitive data are evolving by the day, the need for tools to protect a company’s most valuable asset is crucial.

There are multiple types of data security solutions available, but what should you be looking for? With cyberattacks set to cost businesses an astonishing $10.5 trillion by 2025, it’s imperative that all bases are covered.

We take a look at the 10 types of data security tools you should be aware of for protecting your sensitive data.

Why are data security solutions important?

Data security solutions are vital, particularly for teams who have limited resources, and need support from automated tools. Not only do they help organisations protect against data breaches that can result in financial or reputational losses, they can help to preserve individuals’ privacy rights too.

From a financial perspective, data security solutions can help prevent losses through various factors including theft, fraud, and the costs associated with mitigating the aftermath of a data breach.

Having a data security solution in place also maintains trust and reputation with clients, partners, and stakeholders, which is crucial for long-term success.

10 types of data security for data protection

1. Data Discovery

You can’t protect what you can’t see. Sensitive data may be stored in SaaS applications such as Slack and Google Drive, but without the visibility the company requires, the necessary protections cannot be put in place.

Data discovery helps security teams map out their sensitive data, categorising it so that organisations understand the types of data they are storing. Having this in place also helps businesses to comply with data protection regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA.

2. Access Controls

Giving employees access to every document across the business undoubtedly increases the risk of a data leak or breach occurring. Access controls allow organisations to place restrictions on who can view sensitive data based on their job roles, seniority or other factors.

Employing a zero-trust strategy may be the right approach for some businesses, while others will find this too restrictive. Implementing access controls can help find a good balance between protecting sensitive data, revoking access from those who do not require it, and reducing the risk of unauthorised data exposure.

3. Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

DLP is a key aspect of any data security strategy. Monitoring an organisation’s environment to prevent accidental or intentional data leaks, DLP safeguards sensitive data in transit, and at rest.

It can help businesses identify data risks, and put the right protections in place to prevent sensitive data like customer information, company secrets, or Intellectual Property (IP) being leaked or breached.

4. Employee Awareness

As companies work more with cloud-based solutions, security teams lose the control they once had on the perimeter of their network. Therefore, it’s essential that employees are also aware of the risks they may be creating within SaaS applications.

Employee awareness programs can help educate staff on data security best practices, helping to build a Human Firewall that is security-conscious, and aware of the risks they could create. Bridging the gap between the security team and the rest of the workforce can be instrumental in protecting sensitive data.

5. Insider Threat

Insider threats are often deemed to have malicious motivations, but many insider threats are actually the result of negligent employees who may not realise they’re sharing sensitive data in the wrong places.

Data security solutions can help detect and prevent this happening, by alerting security teams to anomalous behaviour from employees, contractors, or business partners, so they can address any problems swiftly and prevent any issues before they escalate.

6. Antivirus Software

Antivirus software is vital for any organisation as it is designed to detect and protect against malicious software (malware) that can harm important systems. Real-time scanning ensures that threats are addressed as soon as possible and prevents the spread of infections across the organisation’s infrastructure.

Antivirus software scans files and programs, seeking patterns of malicious code that could threaten the integrity of data stored within your systems.

7. Backup Tools

Failing to back up your data can have serious consequences if your systems were compromised; the data may become corrupted, altered, or completely lost.

A data security solution can provide backup support to keep copies of data and safeguard against data loss, in the event of accidental deletion, system failures, or cyberattacks, ensuring minimal business disruption if your original data was damaged.

8. Data Encryption

Data encryption is a vital part of data security. Converting readable data into an unreadable format, it safeguards sensitive information from unauthorised access.

If a malicious actor were to access your data, encryption ensures that prying eyes won’t be able to read it unless they are in possession of the correct decryption key. Encryption keeps information confidential in transit and at rest.

Some data protection regulations require organisations to encrypt their data in order to remain compliant.

9. SIEM (Security Information and Event Management)

SIEM systems are used to collect security event data from various sources across the business to identify incidents and analyse them to understand how events unfolded.

By providing a centralised view of security events across the organisation, SIEM tools can help security teams uncover vulnerabilities and respond to incidents in real-time. Depending on the industry and geographical location of the organisation, a SIEM system might be needed to support compliance reporting.

10. DSPM (Data Security Posture Management)

DSPM is a requirement for any security team that is looking to take an holistic approach to data security. It helps security teams manage and enforce data security policies across the organisation, providing centralised control over data security measures such as access controls, encryption, and data discovery.

Streamlining data security management, DSPM tools can improve visibility and control over data protection measures.

How can Metomic help your organisation protect sensitive data stored in SaaS apps?

Metomic's data security platform discovers sensitive data across your entire SaaS stack, such as customer details, financial information, or company secrets, and helps you take steps to protect it.