Data Security: a Strategic Challenge for Businesses

But beyond financial losses, French businesses also face competitive harm, reputational damage and a loss of trust from customers and partners — not to mention increasingly stringent regulatory requirements: GDPR compliance, guidelines from the national cybersecurity agency (ANSSI) and audits by the national data protection authority (CNIL).

Against this backdrop, data security’s integration into corporate governance has now become a strategic imperative for organisations. In this data-driven age, implementing efficient and suitable cybersecurity policies is critical to business sustainability. VISEO tells you everything you need to know.

Identifying Which Data Should Be Protected First

Creating a comprehensive map of all information assets is the first step as not all data are equally sensitive or valuable. Information can generally be categorised as follows:

• business-critical data: customer databases, commercial contracts, financial information, HR files;
• data within SaaS applications hosted in the cloud (Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud) or stored on in-house servers;
• data on the move: smartphones, tablets, remote-working devices.

Classifying data ensures they receive the appropriate level of protection. But a thorough risk analysis is also required to help businesses assess the impact of a data breach and prioritise remedial actions — without it, their efforts are likely to fall short and they’ll become more exposed to cyberattacks.

Data Security Best Practices

Access security

The first crucial step is the control of digital identities. Implementing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) alongside biometrics can help to reduce intrusions caused by password theft. In addition, integrating Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions enables granular control of user permissions and helps to mitigate the risk of privilege escalation.

Encryption and encoding

Encryption makes stolen data unreadable. Encrypting data from disks, customer databases and application flows must become a natural part of every corporate security strategy. It provides maximum protection against industrial espionage and the compromise of confidential data.

Safeguarding information systems

Shielding an IT infrastructure requires:

• next-generation firewalls,
• intrusion detection systems, and
• strict network segmentation.

However, deploying technical defences alone is not enough without a well-structured patch management strategy.

Backup and disaster recovery

Last but not least, secure backups are the last line of defence. In addition to being outsourced, they should be encrypted and tested on a regular basis. Organisations are advised to develop an efficient and suitable disaster recovery plan to ensure prompt resumption of their operations in case of a disruptive event. Many French businesses don’t have one in place, which can leave them vulnerable to threats.

Deploying Security Across All Environments

Data must be secured across all locations.

• Cloud: a shared security model. While suppliers have to ensure the resilience of the infrastructure, companies are responsible for configuring and managing access rights.
• Mobility: rising adoption of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) increases the need for Mobile Device Management (MDM) tools and native encryption for endpoints.
• Web: using SSL/TLS certificates, monitoring application vulnerabilities and hardening servers are best practices to ensure website security.

This across-the-board approach is key to ensuring network and application security. It encompasses all information assets, including personal, sensitive and business-critical data.

Why Combining Security and Compliance Is Essential

Data protection also comes with legal responsibilities. The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) sets out specific requirements for the protection of personal data. The French data protection authority (CNIL) is responsible for conducting audit checks and imposing penalties to enforce GDPR compliance. The French cybersecurity agency (ANSSI), on the other hand, publishes security standards and guidelines for businesses and public-sector organisations. These two entities complement each other to form a comprehensive ecosystem designed to support French businesses.

Additionally, the following international standards provide a structured framework:

• ISO 27001, for information security management systems;
• ISO 27002, for best practice guidance;
• the NIST Risk Management Framework, for managing threats.

These regulations serve as a guiding beacon, grounding governance in recognised standards.

Data security: a Strategic Investment

Data protection represents a strategic investment: it is a cornerstone of business continuity, partner trust and regulatory compliance.

Businesses that strive to protect their information assets are those that think ahead, deploy mature technologies and integrate cybersecurity into their corporate culture. In an economy where the digital assets are often more valuable than the physical ones, protecting data becomes the foundation of competitiveness.

Investing in data security means preparing your business for the future. At VISEO, our teams are here to support you to achieve this goal.