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anglumea.com – Digital data security procedures and requirements are categorized into four main groups, commonly referred to as “The Four A’s”: Access, Audit, Authentication, and Authorization. In addition to these, Entitlement is often included as a supporting element to ensure effective compliance with data regulations. Tools such as information classification, access rights, role grouping, user management, and password policies are used to implement security policies and fulfill the Four A’s. Security monitoring also plays a critical role in validating the effectiveness of these processes. Both continuous and periodic audits or monitoring of data security can be conducted. Formal audits must be performed by third parties in order to be considered valid, and these third parties may be either internal or external entities.
The Four A’s
1. Access
Granting access allows authorized individuals to interact with systems as needed. The term access may be used as a verb, referring to actively connecting to an information system and working with its data, or as a noun, referring to the valid authorization a person holds over specific data.
2. Audit
Auditing involves reviewing security-related activities and user behavior to ensure compliance with regulations, policies, and corporate standards. Information security professionals periodically review logs and documentation to validate adherence to these frameworks. The results of these audits should be published at regular intervals.
3. Authentication
Authentication is the process of verifying a user’s identity when they attempt to access a system. One of the most common methods is password authentication. However, more stringent methods include the use of security tokens, challenge questions, or fingerprint scanning. All data transmissions during authentication must be encrypted to prevent credential theft.
4. Authorization
Unlike authentication, which verifies identity, authorization refers to the granting of specific privileges that allow a user to access particular sets of data in accordance with their role. Once authorized, the system’s Access Control System checks each login attempt to verify whether the user holds a valid authorization token. Technically, this means a new record appears in the company’s Active Directory, indicating that an individual has been granted data access by a designated authority. This also implies that a responsible person has made a deliberate decision to grant access based on the user’s job responsibilities or organizational status.
5. Entitlement
Entitlement refers to the total set of data elements a user is granted access to through a single access authorization decision. A responsible manager must determine that the individual has a legitimate need to access the data before issuing an access authorization request. A clear inventory of the data exposed by each entitlement is required to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and confidentiality requirements tied to such access decisions.
Monitoring
A comprehensive data security system must include monitoring tools that detect unexpected events, including potential security breaches. Systems containing sensitive information—such as payroll or financial records—typically deploy active, real-time monitoring that alerts administrators of suspicious behavior or unauthorized access attempts.
Some security systems may actively interrupt activities that do not align with established access profiles. In such cases, accounts or activities remain locked until a designated team has thoroughly reviewed the incident.
Conversely, passive monitoring tracks system changes over time by capturing periodic snapshots and comparing trends to predefined benchmarks or criteria. These systems generate reports and forward them to data stewards or data security administrators responsible for the integrity of the information. As such, active monitoring serves as a detection mechanism, while passive monitoring functions as an assessment mechanism.
Conclusion
The effective protection of digital data requires a comprehensive and structured approach that encompasses Access, Audit, Authentication, Authorization, and Entitlement. Each of these components plays a crucial role in establishing a secure data environment—ensuring that only authorized individuals gain access, their activities are properly logged and reviewed, and their privileges are assigned based on legitimate roles and responsibilities.
Equally important is the implementation of robust monitoring strategies. Active monitoring serves as an early detection mechanism for security incidents, while passive monitoring offers continuous assessment for long-term oversight. Together, these practices not only help organizations comply with regulatory requirements but also foster a proactive culture of cybersecurity awareness and accountability.
By adopting these procedures, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of data breaches, strengthen information governance, and maintain trust with users, clients, and regulatory bodies alike.