Updated August 3, 2023

Many businesses operate in a data access mode known as “default to know,” particularly when they are in hyper-growth mode. The result is that there can be an uncontrolled and overly permissive approach to data access which can lead to hidden costs in terms of security and compliance. Growing and expanding companies will require more secure sharing of critical assets, resulting in a shift from “default to know” to a “need to know” approach. 

The need-to-know concept combines modern economics and data security by allowing users access to only information they require for their tasks and responsibilities. With this enforcement, safe sharing is enabled and suppliers can work efficiently in today’s globalized world while ensuring data security and compliance.  Previously, monitoring and granting need-to-know access via manual tools and procedures have significantly slowed innovation and growth as access granting might take up to days to complete the actions. However, in today’s dynamic digital environment, it is important for this to be completed in real-time to ensure authorized users can easily access data, while remaining secure and keeping the business agile.  

Now, it is possible to transition from “default to know” to “need to know” without stifling innovation by using DataSecOps. With a single, integrated platform, it is easy to automate and simplify data access while ensuing compliance. 

Through centralized data governance and automation of security at every stage of the data lifecycle, DataSecOps platforms further streamline “need to know” data access for real-time and secure access without compromising security  while improving compliance standing & business agility.  With improved business agility and more accurate decisions, businesses will be able to respond quickly to changes in market conditions and requirements, which is vital to surviving and winning in highly competitive markets.

Organizations are switching from on-premises databases to more adaptable and effective cloud-based alternatives as they adopt and expand cloud computing at an increasing rate. In order to protect these hybrid and multi-cloud environments, it calls for a dynamic approach to protect sensitive information.  

DataSecOps has the potential to be the key to cloud security. As manual processes can take up valuable time and cause inaccuracy, it will be crucial to automate and streamline data access. When creating a cloud environment, it is important to implement security automation. DataSecOps will enable core process to run quickly and efficiently which enhances efficiency while enabling regulatory compliance.  

With increased collaboration, it is also key to implement a shared responsibility model which is a security and compliance framework that outlines the responsibilities of cloud service providers (CSPs) and customers for securing every aspect of the cloud environment. The streamlined access strategy enables enhanced collaboration between departments and external parties, bringing faster time-to-value.

A successful DataSecOps approach should be a shared responsibility between all stakeholders with a streamlined “need-to-know” process & segregation of duties. This works hand-in-hand with segregation of duties, an internal control designed to prevent error and fraud by ensuring that at least two individuals are responsible for the separate parts of any task.  

Segregation of duties (SoD) is based on the idea of shared responsibilities. It is a crucial component of a business control system. It is designed to divide up a task or transaction and allocate each component to a different individual in order to prevent any one person from acquiring exclusive or excessive control and then abusing that control for unethical or unapproved purposes. Streamlining access control and automating security with DataSecops will simplify the implementation of segregation of duties by providing the following capabilities:  

• Enabling Data Democratization
  Data democratization makes digital data available to non-technical users of information systems, mainly for analytic purposes. Streamlining access control with DataSecOps will remove any intermediaries and increases data transparency and availability which will help SoD to prevent control failures 
• Protection of Sensitive Data
  While supporting compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and other legal requirements, dynamic masking & segregation of sensitive data at run-time can be based on selected security rules and identities, data locations, and data categories. With this, it will enable SoD to meet compliance requirements & prevent potential breaches. 
• Fine-Grain Access Control 
  Fine-grained access control is the ability to grant or deny access to critical assets, such as resources and data, based on multiple conditions and/or multiple entitlements to a single data resource. The use of Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) with DataSecOps will benefit SoD with fine-grained security controls and data governance to safeguard information. 
• Efficient Data Classification 
  DataSecOps requires data to be classified on an ongoing basis to protect sensitive data.  It is easier to optimize and use data when these are gathered into a single and comprehensive format across the organization. With streamlined data classification, it will also help SoD to achieve sustainable internal controls and risk management. 
• Maintain Compliance and Governance
  For organizations to comply with regulatory compliance standards, comprehensive reporting and monitoring offer a real-time audit trail and visibility into the utilization of all data. Thus, further streamlining risk management for SoD by preventing frauds and human errors. 

Therefore, using a DataSecOps approach allows organizations to design an effective and secure access strategy to enable need to know access while promoting innovation and growth. Using a DataSecOps , access controls, security, and governance can be embedded seamlessly and automatically into data operations in a timely and secure manner. Therefore, enabling organizations to make better decisions, improve compliance, lower risk, and maintain highly accessible data.   

Learn more about how having a DataSecOps platform will be crucial towards achieving Zero Trust Architecture & the importance of Zero Trust Architecture in today’s world.