How do you secure your data when cleaning and preparing it?

1 Identify sensitive data

The first step to secure your data is to identify what kind of data you are dealing with and how sensitive it is. Sensitive data can include personal information, financial records, health records, trade secrets, or any other data that can cause harm or liability if exposed or misused. You should classify your data according to its level of sensitivity and apply appropriate security measures to protect it. For example, you can use encryption, masking, anonymization, or pseudonymization techniques to reduce the risk of data breaches or leaks.

2 Follow data protection regulations

The second step to secure your data is to follow the data protection regulations and standards that apply to your industry, region, or project. Data protection regulations aim to safeguard the privacy and rights of data subjects and to ensure the accountability and transparency of data controllers and processors. Some of the most common data protection regulations are the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States, and the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) in Singapore. You should familiarize yourself with the data protection regulations that affect your data and comply with their requirements and obligations.

3 Use secure tools and platforms

The third step to secure your data is to use secure tools and platforms for data cleaning and preparation. Data cleaning and preparation tools and platforms can help you automate, streamline, and improve your data quality and analysis, but they can also introduce security vulnerabilities if they are not properly configured, updated, or monitored. You should choose tools and platforms that offer robust security features, such as encryption, authentication, authorization, logging, auditing, backup, and recovery. You should also follow the best practices and guidelines of the tools and platforms you use and avoid sharing or storing your data on untrusted or public devices or networks.

4 Implement data governance policies

The fourth step to secure your data is to implement data governance policies and procedures for data cleaning and preparation. Data governance is the process of defining and enforcing the roles, responsibilities, rules, standards, and processes for managing and using data across an organization or a project. Data governance can help you ensure that your data is consistent, accurate, reliable, and secure throughout its lifecycle. You should establish data governance policies and procedures that cover aspects such as data ownership, access, quality, ethics, compliance, and security. You should also communicate and train your data team and stakeholders on the data governance policies and procedures and monitor and review their implementation and effectiveness.

6 Review and update your data security

The sixth and final step to secure your data is to review and update your data security regularly and as needed. Data security is not a one-time task, but an ongoing process that requires constant vigilance and adaptation. You should review and update your data security based on the changes in your data, your tools and platforms, your data protection regulations, and the emerging threats and risks in the data environment. You should also conduct periodic data security audits and assessments and implement corrective and preventive measures to improve your data security and resilience.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?