Although many companies understand the importance of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) in producing quality software, they often lack a structured approach for managing their Data Lifecycle. In an era where AI-driven systems rely heavily on data, integrating a secure data lifecycle with the SDLC is crucial for maintaining reliable and trustworthy systems.
Authentication
Implementing authentication mechanisms and role- or attribute-based authorization ensures that only authorized individuals or systems can create or capture data, which is a crucial mitigation strategy in the data lifecycle. Authentication methods should include a combination of passwords, certificates, keys, tokens, and biometrics. Single Sign-On (SSO), a widely used authentication method today, should incorporate token expiration to prevent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS).
Authorization
Role-based authorization assigns specific roles to users, defining the permissions associated with each role. Attribute-based authorization, on the other hand, uses attributes such as claims to determine permissions.
These technical controls should be supported by formal procedures for the registration and de-registration of individuals, as well as a maintenance and calibration plan for instruments and machines.
Interested in learning more? Check out our whitepaper “5 Data Security Essentials in SaaS for GxP Environments”.