Data security regulations are in place to protect consumers, employees, and companies themselves from exposing sensitive data. The exact regulations facing a company will depend on their industry and location, but the basic principles will be similar—take every possible precaution to avoid unnecessary exposure of personally identifiable information, financial information, or personal health information.
A Salesforce data loader is one of the many available DevOps tools that helps companies remain in compliance with data security regulations.
Failure to comply with these guidelines can result in penalties and fines. However, fear of punishment shouldn’t be the only driving factor behind regulatory compliance. It is the responsibility of a business to protect any data that is entrusted to them.
Proper protocols and specialized tools are the best way to address these important concerns. We’ve discussed the importance of tools like data backup and recovery, but there are lesser-known tools such as a Salesforce data loader that will also help keep sensitive data safe.
Here are 9 ways a Salesforce data loader helps your company remain compliant with data security regulations.
1. Masks Sensitive Data
Perhaps the top way a Salesforce data loader can protect your sensitive information is by masking it. This is a security technique that obfuscates sensitive data so that even if the folder is exposed, the data itself remains hidden.
Data masking uses techniques such as pseudonymization, anonymization, and encryption to protect sensitive customer and team member data.
Confidential and personally identifiable information needs to be protected on many levels. Data masking is an important aspect of providing a full-featured approach to accomplishing this.
2. Randomizes Data Entry
The mechanics of masking sensitive data will vary between instances, tools, and your particular needs. However, randomizing the characters of sensitive data is an important function of a Salesforce data loader.
FIPS 140-2 is a security standard set forth by the US government to describe approved cryptographic modules.
A Salesforce data loader that is equipped with proper data masking functionality can fulfill the needs of these requirements through a secure random number generator. This is a highly secure and reliable method of masking sensitive data.
3. Carries Over Configurational Data
Populating multiple environments with shared data is a major function of a Salesforce data loader. This is a quick and easy way to increase productivity and diminish down time. However, this transfer of data needs to be performed securely in order to remain in compliance with security standards.
Migrating field-level configurational data helps unify security techniques while also standardizing team member procedures.
The structure and functionality of Salesforce environments needs to be unified to avoid confusion among team members. Data security can become compromised when these standards are not met.
4. Preserves Metadata Hierarchies
Related fields and objects are driven by metadata. And when information is lost between broken chains of linked fields, data security issues can soon follow. Populating a new org with pre-established hierarchies ensures there’s no confusion that leads to lost or misplaced information.
Metadata needs to be cared for as much as any other type of system data. A Salesforce data loader encompasses the totality of your org, so everything is migrated properly.
Saving metadata hierarchies might seem like an add-on service, but proper data security requires a full-featured approach.
5. Improves Data Governance
Tracking and maintaining a reliable pool of data is important for the proper functionality of your Salesforce environment. Knowing which areas contain sensitive information will also allow you the ability to adequately protect data that might be subject to data security regulations.
A Salesforce data loader helps organize data sets by maintaining parent/child relationships in migrations, deleting multiples of data sets, and more.
Dynamic and automatic functions ensure nothing slips between the cracks while improving the overall structure of your data sets.
6. Unifies Processes
Accidental deletions and exposures of sensitive or otherwise protected data are unfortunately common occurrences. This happens when team members become confused, don’t know what they are dealing with, or simply make mistakes. Maintaining consistent functionality and structures are essential to minimizing costly accidents.
Sharing objects and records between orgs unifies efforts to keep data structures and functionalities consistent.
Reducing manual processes is only one aspect of minimizing risk in your Salesforce environment. Migrating data helps your team members confidently focus on their tasks.
7. Enables Rapid Development
Automation has become widely used in the DevOps world. There are a variety of tools such as CI/CD, static code analysis, and more that aim to streamline and optimize the efforts of your DevOps team. Anything that contributes to this goal will also contribute to regulatory compliance.
The ability to quickly and sufficiently address emerging data security needs through a reliable DevOps pipeline allows you to introduce updates and applications that further secure your system.
A Salesforce data loader provides the infrastructure needed to facilitate these optimized operations.
8. Protects Customer Environments
Many Salesforce users interact directly with the environments of their customers. These linked instances need to be cooperatively stable to ensure the security of either side isn’t compromised.
A Salesforce data loader offers a graphical user interface enables a user to mask data in a CSV within a customer environment.
Properly protecting sensitive data means enabling all potential handlers to guard against threats.
9. Integrates Within DevSecOps Platform
A Salesforce data loader is one piece within a larger toolset your Salesforce environment needs to properly protect itself against data corruption, overexposure, and cybercrime. Piecing together a data security strategy with tools from multiple vendors can lead to gaps in coverage.
A complete DevSecOps platform will integrate the advantages of a Salesforce data loader with other powerful tools that further impact compliance.
Regulatory compliance requires constant attention and a 360 degree view of your Salesforce environment. Utilizing a data loader will provide a series of benefits. Integrating it within a larger DevSecOps platform makes compliance much easier.