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Gartner Glossary

Data Security

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  • Erasure (ensuring that data that is no longer active or used is reliably deleted from a repository)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)

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