The Essential Role of Data Scanning in Ensuring Security and Compliance

In the digital era, where data breaches are a constant threat and compliance with data protection regulations is more critical than ever, businesses face the daunting challenge of managing and securing their sensitive data. This challenge is compounded by the proliferation of data across various platforms—SaaS applications, cloud storage, and endpoint devices. Enter Strac, a cutting-edge solution designed to revolutionize the way businesses approach the scanning of sensitive data, ensuring comprehensive protection and compliance with ease.

Understanding Data Scanning

Data scanning involves the systematic examination of digital environments to identify and categorize data, with a particular focus on sensitive information that could pose a risk if exposed or mishandled. This process is crucial for businesses that handle personal data, financial information, intellectual property, or any data subject to regulatory compliance requirements.

The Essence of Data Scanning

At its core, data scanning employs sophisticated software tools to meticulously sift through files and databases, pinpointing sensitive or specific data stored in an array of formats. This methodical process is aimed at fortifying sensitive data against vulnerabilities, ensuring its security from potential breaches, and maintaining compliance with stringent data protection regulations. By systematically identifying sensitive data, including personally identifiable information (PII), financial details, and health records, data scanning serves as a foundational pillar in the architecture of data security.

The Need for Advanced Data Scanning

With the expansion of digital workspaces, sensitive data now resides in a multitude of locations, from emails and documents in cloud storage like AWS S3 and Google Drive/One Drive/Dropbox/Box, to conversations in collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams, to AI websites like ChatGPT, Google Bard/Gemini and even in SaaS platforms such as Salesforce, Zendesk, and Jira. This dispersion creates a complex environment where traditional data management practices are no longer sufficient.

How Data Scanning differs from DLP (Data Loss Prevention)

Data Scanning is the first step in DLP. In order to know what is the sensitive data, an organization MUST know where is the sensitive data. Data Scanning and DLP tools both do Data Discovery. Once the sensitive data is scanned, Data Scanning and DLP tools will provide alerts and visibility of the sensitive data. DLP goes one step further in providing the necessary remediation actions like redaction, masking, encryption, deletion, etc.

Strac's Approach to Data Scanning

Strac.io stands out by offering a comprehensive solution that goes beyond the surface level, enabling businesses to delve deep into their digital environments to locate and secure sensitive data across SaaS applications, cloud storage, and endpoint devices. Strac's technology is engineered to perform historical scans, allowing organizations to audit and clean up legacy data that could pose a risk if left unmanaged.

Features of Strac's Data Scanning Solution

Strac’s data scanning solution is distinguished by its depth, flexibility, and comprehensiveness. Here are key features that make Strac an indispensable tool for businesses:

• Historical and Real-Time Scanning: Strac can go back in time to scan historical data or focus on real-time data flows, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
• Cross-Platform Coverage: From popular SaaS applications like Gmail, Office 365, Slack, and Salesforce to endpoint devices across Mac, Windows, and Linux, and cloud environments like AWS, Strac provides an all-encompassing solution. Check out all integrations here: https://strac.io/integrations
• Flexible Historical Scanning: Strac offers the flexibility to conduct scans based on specific criteria, such as time ranges, specific mailboxes, Slack/Teams channels, Zendesk/Salesforce/Intercom groups, or even particular types of sensitive data.
• Unstructured Document and Unstructured Text Support: Strac can scan and detect sensitive data in chat messages or email bodies and also in any kind of document (pdf, jpeg, jpg, png, docx, xlsx). Full Catalog of Sensitive Data Elements or Detectors is here: ‎‎https://www.strac.io/blog/strac-catalog-of-sensitive-data-elements
• Automated Remediation: Upon detection of sensitive data, Strac facilitates swift action through options like deletion, redaction, or quarantining, aiding in compliance and risk mitigation.

The Strategic Advantage of Using Strac

Employing Strac for your data scanning needs offers several strategic advantages:

• Risk Reduction: By identifying and remediating sensitive data, Strac minimizes the risk of data breaches and the associated financial and reputational damages.
• Regulatory Compliance: Strac helps businesses stay compliant with data protection regulations by providing tools for data management and privacy controls. Data Discover, Scanning and Visibility is necessary for SOC 2, PCI, ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA and other privacy laws.
• Efficiency and Productivity: Automating the scanning and remediation process saves time and resources, allowing IT and security teams to focus on strategic initiatives.
• Peace of Mind: Knowing that sensitive data across all platforms and devices is continuously monitored and protected allows businesses to operate with confidence.

FAQ: What is data scanning?

Data scanning involves using specialized software to analyze files on systems to identify sensitive or specific data. This process helps locate files containing personal or confidential information and pinpoint the sensitive content they hold.

FAQ: What is sensitive data scanning?

Sensitive data scanning is a process where a software tool is used to locate sensitive information within an organization. This tool can be configured to identify specific patterns, such as Social Security or credit card numbers (PCI data), and can be automated to search through various file types to ensure comprehensive coverage.

FAQ: When scanning your data what should you look for?

When scanning data, it is essential to look for security risks related to unstructured data and ensure compliance with data regulations. Ensure it is thorough in terms of document formats and data elements. Ensure it is accurate in its detection. Ensure it is easy to use and provide reports.

FAQ: Is Data Scanning necessary for PCI?

Yes, for PCI. There are 2 requirements that cover Data Scanning: 

1. ‍3.4.2 When using remote-access technologies, technical controls prevent copy and/or relocation of PAN (Primary Account Number aka Card number) for all personnel, except for those with documented, explicit authorization and a legitimate, defined business need. Checkout https://www.strac.io/blog/pci-dss-4-0-changes#new-requirement-342-no-pan-on-employee-laptops-cloud-storage-drives-or-any-device
2. 12.10.7 (Prevent PAN data leaks by identification and remediation): Checkout https://www.strac.io/blog/pci-dss-4-0-changes#new-requirement-12107-prevent-pan-data-leaks-by-identification-and-remediation

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FAQ: Is Strac a Data Scanning solution?

Yes. Strac is a Data Scanning solution where it automatically discovers sensitive data across SaaS, Cloud, Endpoint devices and Generative AI Apps. Checkout this section for more details:

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