Sheet 1 Information Type Priority One Priority Two Priority

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Sheet1 information contains various sensitive data fields, such as Social Security Numbers, credit card information, medical data, personal identifiers, financial details, and more. The assignment requires selecting the most critical security attribute—confidentiality, integrity, or availability—for each data type, prioritizing them from most to least important, and justifying these choices. Additionally, learners are instructed to complete an Excel template by selecting appropriate priorities for each data type's security attributes and providing a written justification for their decisions. The task emphasizes personal perspective and thoughtful reasoning over a “correct” answer, aiming to deepen understanding of data security principles.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

In the digital age, safeguarding sensitive information is paramount for organizations to protect their stakeholders and comply with regulatory standards. The scenario under consideration involves analyzing various data types and determining the appropriate hierarchy of security attributes—confidentiality, integrity, and availability—based on their nature and risk profile. This exercise aims to foster a nuanced understanding of data security prioritization, emphasizing how different data types require different protective measures.

Analysis of Data Types and Security Priorities

The first data type—Social Security Number (SSN)—is inherently sensitive, primarily because its exposure can lead to identity theft and fraud. Consequently, confidentiality should be the top priority; unauthorized access to SSNs could have severe consequences, making theft or misuse easier. The second priority is integrity, ensuring the SSNs are accurate and unaltered, and the third priority is availability, which guarantees that the data is accessible when needed without unnecessary delays (Dlamini & Mageza, 2020).

Credit card information similarly warrants a focus on confidentiality because its misuse can result in financial loss for individuals and reputational damage for companies. Integrity remains crucial to prevent fraudulent transactions, while availability supports legitimate transaction processing and customer service operations. For medical information, confidentiality again stands out as the most important attribute because of its sensitive nature. Patients' health data needs to be protected against breaches, and its accuracy (integrity) is vital for clinical decision-making. Availability, although important, is secondary, as access should be granted under strict authorization.

Personal identifiers such as names, birth dates, and passport numbers require confidentiality to protect individual privacy but may have slightly lower priority levels compared to SSNs or medical data. For financial data like salary or investment accounts, confidentiality is paramount, but integrity is equally essential to prevent unauthorized modifications. Data related to employment, education, or language spoken can generally be assigned a lower priority for confidentiality but may still require integrity and availability to ensure correctness and access when needed.

Conclusion

Prioritizing security attributes for various data types hinges on understanding the potential risks and consequences associated with each type of data breach or compromise. Confidentiality remains the most critical attribute for personally identifiable information (PII), financial data, and health records due to the severe personal and legal implications of unauthorized disclosures. Integrity is indispensable where data accuracy is crucial for operational or decision-making processes. Availability ensures data accessibility for legitimate users, supporting efficiency but generally ranks lower compared to confidentiality and integrity in most sensitive contexts. Developing a tailored security framework for different data types enhances overall organizational data security and helps prevent data breaches, financial fraud, and privacy violations.

References

Dlamini, S., & Mageza, C. (2020). Enhancing data confidentiality, integrity, and availability in health information systems. International Journal of Information Management, 50, 170–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2019.04.019

Palmer, C. (2019). Core security principles: Confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Cybersecurity Fundamentals. https://www.cybersecurityfundamentals.com/ccc/security-principles

Sood, A., & Enbody, R. (2021). The importance of data classification in information security. IEEE Security & Privacy, 19(2), 77–83. https://doi.org/10.1109/MSEC.2020.2971782

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