Editorials, Encryption/Data Security, Ethics, Security

Your Job as a DBA Just Got Harder

Privacy – not just a problem for the legal and risk management departments anymore. These days, issues of privacy, security, and data ethics are squarely in the DBA’s court. We just added Steve’s session, Data Ethics, Protection, and Privacy, to the PRO library. Want to learn more? Check that out HERE.

As data is critical to organizations, the DBA’s job necessarily includes keeping that data safe (and accurate), and to navigate the ethics surrounding that data. This also adds to the value of you in the company, which is another reason to pay attention to this.

The other side of it is that customers need to have that data safe, too; it seems like every week we now hear about a breach that compromised hundreds of thousands of customers’ data. As a DBA, it comes down to you to keep it safe (no pressure).

Customers have to be able to trust that you’ll keep their data safe in order for them to work with you – duh. They’re also very adamant about retaining their privacy, which is an understandable desire, but it makes the DBA’s job a lot trickier. Protecting data is vital, but the everyday customer believes that privacy is the same thing, making your job harder. Since your job is to deliver the tools necessary to keep those customers’ data safe, you also have to learn all of the different legal requirements and practices – on top of the rest of your job.

Every step data goes through has to be protected. This means the collection, processing, storage, usage, management, and finally, destruction. Each of those stages of data has to have the right kind – and level – of protection. And of course, you have to make sure that you’re following the legal requirements for the protection and destruction of that data. So, what tools do you use for this?

Well, I don’t want to spoil ALL of Steve’s talk, but he has tips on which tools will really help you out as well as how they’ll help you out. He also shows you some great real life examples and how to apply all of these tips. All of this great information is available to you HERE.

If you’re a PRO member, you already have access to this as well as the rest of our fantastic sessions from the conference in May. Check all of those out HERE.