Source: Varonis Blog Author: Nathan Coppinger URL: https://www.varonis.com/blog/data-masking

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:

Data masking is essential to protect sensitive information in databases and data warehouses from unauthorized access, especially using Varonis’ automated platform.

MAIN POINTS:

1. Data masking obfuscates sensitive data to protect against unauthorized access and breaches.
2. Varonis’ platform supports dynamic data masking for popular databases like Amazon Redshift and Google BigQuery.
3. Automated data masking helps organizations discover and classify sensitive data efficiently.
4. Dynamic data masking creates inauthentic versions while retaining original data properties and usability.
5. Accurate data classification is vital for effective data masking and protection strategies.
6. Unmasked sensitive data can be identified using out-of-the-box Varonis reports.
7. Organizations can create and apply dynamic masking policies tailored to their data needs.
8. Varonis supports various masking methods, including tokenization, hashing, and custom masks.
9. The platform allows for flexibility in managing, modifying, and removing data masks as needed.
10. Varonis combines multiple security features in one platform to combat data breaches and ensure compliance.

TAKEAWAYS:

1. Implementing data masking reduces risks associated with data breaches in sensitive information.
2. Accurate data classification is foundational for effective governance and data protection.
3. Dynamic data masking provides unobstructed data usability while preserving security and compliance.
4. Varonis automates the identification and masking of sensitive data for efficiency.
5. A robust data security strategy includes comprehensive data masking policies to enforce least privilege access.