What is a Data Subject? The Important Measure of Data Masking
Data privacy is a top concern and understanding key terminologies such as "data subject" and "data masking" is essential. Whether you are an individual concerned about your personal information or a business striving for compliance, knowing these concepts can help in safeguarding sensitive data.
And particularly importantly for Tempo Audits clients, ISO 27001 Annex A control 8.11 requires organisations to implement controls to protect personally identifiable information (PII) from unauthorised access and misuse - so you’re going to need to get your head around this before getting your ISO 27001 certificate.
What is a Data Subject?
A "data subject" refers to any individual whose personal data is being collected, processed, or stored by an organisation. Under regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), data subjects have specific rights over their data, including the right to access, rectify, or erase their personal information.
For example, if you have an account on an e-commerce website, you are considered a data subject because your name, email, purchase history, and payment details are stored and processed by the company.
Why is Protecting Data Subjects Important?
The rise in cyber threats and data breaches has made protecting data subjects more crucial than ever. Organisations that handle personal data must ensure its security to maintain trust, comply with legal requirements, and prevent costly breaches. ISO 27001’s control 8.11 emphasises the importance of data masking and pseudonymisation as security measures to protect sensitive information.
The Role of Data Masking in Protecting Data Subjects
Data masking is a technique used to protect sensitive information by replacing real data with fictional but realistic data. This process ensures that unauthorised users or malicious actors cannot access actual personal information, thereby enhancing privacy and security in alignment with ISO 27001 control 8.11.
How Does Data Masking Work?
Data masking works by altering specific data elements while preserving the overall format and structure. This can be done in various ways, such as:
Substitution: Replacing real values with synthetic data.
Shuffling: Rearranging data randomly to obscure its true nature.
Encryption: Converting data into a secure, unreadable format that requires a key to decode.
Redaction: Removing or masking critical portions of data to limit visibility.
Benefits of Data Masking
Enhances Data Privacy: Protects personal and sensitive information from unauthorised access by limiting exposure to only authorised personnel or systems. By masking sensitive data, organisations can significantly reduce the risk of accidental leaks, insider threats, and external breaches. This ensures that even if data is accessed by unauthorised parties, it remains unintelligible and unusable, thereby safeguarding the privacy of data subjects while maintaining operational efficiency.
Ensures Regulatory Compliance: Helps businesses adhere to data protection laws such as GDPR. ISO 27001, particularly control 8.11, recommends implementing data masking as part of a comprehensive information security framework. This ensures that organisations maintain compliance by securing personally identifiable information (PII) and mitigating legal risks associated with non-compliance.
Prevents Data Breaches: Reduces the risk of exposure if systems are compromised by adding an extra layer of protection. Even if a cyberattack occurs, masked data remains meaningless to attackers, reducing the likelihood of exploitation. Data masking also limits the impact of insider threats by restricting access to actual sensitive data, thus ensuring business continuity and minimising financial and reputational damage.
Maintains Data Integrity: Allows organisations to use masked data for testing, analytics, and development without compromising privacy. By using masked datasets, companies can conduct realistic software testing and data analysis while ensuring that sensitive information is not exposed to non-production environments.
Implementing Data Masking in Your Organisation
To effectively use data masking under ISO 27001 guidelines, businesses should:
Identify sensitive data that needs protection in alignment with ISO 27001 control 8.11.
Choose appropriate data masking techniques based on business needs.
Regularly review and update masking strategies to counter evolving threats.
Train employees on data security best practices to ensure compliance.
Conclusion
Understanding what a data subject is and the importance of data masking can help individuals and businesses protect personal data more effectively. As regulatory requirements become stricter, implementing robust data masking techniques as per ISO 27001 control 8.11 is a proactive measure to ensure compliance and enhance data security. Our Tempo auditors will also review your conformity against the control in your ISO 27001 audit before we issue your certificate as well.
By prioritising data protection, organisations not only comply with legal and security mandates but also build trust with customers, fostering long-term success in a digital-first world. To evidence that your organisation meets ISO 27001 requirements effectively, book a meeting with us and we can discuss delivering your audit!