Top 10 data security best practices for 2025

2024 ushered in one of the biggest shifts in data security, as cyber threats continued to increase in sophistication by leveraging advancements in AI to outpace traditional defenses. High-profile breaches across all industries continued, uncovering vulnerabilities in even the most robust systems. Meanwhile, the ongoing hybrid work models and migration to cloud-based technologies expanded the attack surface, creating new challenges for protecting sensitive data.

As 2025 rolls on, organizations need to follow best practices that represent a proactive, forward-thinking framework to stay ahead of emerging threats, protect critical data, and maintain the trust of their stakeholders. Here are ten best practices that organizations should consider.

1. Get crystal clear on data discovery and classification

Conducting a comprehensive audit of your data is the foundation of any effective security strategy. Organizations are managing massive amounts of structured and unstructured data across various servers, SaaS applications, cloud environments, and devices. Identifying and classifying all this data is crucial so that you know exactly what you have, where it is, and how sensitive it is.

The first step in initiating any change is to assess the state of your current environment and understand where you are. Advanced tools can automatically discover and categorize data based on its content and context. AI-based solutions eliminate manual processes and make it easier to identify risks and align data management practices with regulatory requirements. For example, sensitive data like personally identifiable information (PII) or protected health information (PHI) can be flagged for stricter access controls.

This proactive approach empowers you to address vulnerabilities before they lead to costly breaches or compliance violations.

2. Implement least privilege access

The principle of least privilege access means that users should have the minimum level of access necessary to perform their job functions. With this strategy, the likelihood of internal misuse or having the data exploited by external attackers is dramatically reduced.

Modern solutions make it easier to implement and enforce least privilege policies across the enterprise. Capabilities like mapping access permissions against user roles can help identify and remediate unnecessary or risky access.

Adopting least privilege access protects sensitive data while minimizing the risk of insider threats, inappropriate sharing, and unauthorized access, especially as organizations embrace hybrid work environments.

3. Monitor continuously and seek out anomalous behavior

Real-time monitoring is crucial, as sophisticated attacks can occur within seconds. Traditional security methods relying solely on periodic audits can expose organizations to undetected threats and potential disasters. With continuous monitoring, organizations can immediately detect anomalies that may signal malicious activities.

AI-driven data security governance tools are proven for analyzing data access patterns to identify unusual behaviors. Continuous monitoring ensures that potential threats are identified and addressed before they turn into breaches. Not only does it strengthen security, but it can provide valuable intelligence into user behavior to provide more informed decision-making.

4. Aim for automated risk remediation wherever possible

Automated risk remediation ensures that identified vulnerabilities are mitigated without manual intervention to prevent response delay that attackers often exploit. Automation tools can adjust access controls, revoke risky permissions, and prevent unauthorized data sharing before it gets out of control. These remediation actions are based on petabytes of data-driven insights that can drastically reduce IT workloads and keep security policies enforceable.

With automation, organizations can scale their security efforts efficiently, reducing the risk of human error while giving security teams the time they need to focus on strategic initiatives.

5. Make 2025 the year to implement zero trust

The zero trust model assumes that no user or device should be trusted by default, even if they are inside the network perimeter. Zero trust resonates even more today as organizations continue to adopt hybrid work environments and cloud services, increasing the attack surface. With zero trust, organizations are better positioned to mitigate risks from compromised credentials and lateral movement within the network.

But maintaining zero trust can be very difficult due to the complexity of integrating it across diverse systems, legacy infrastructure, and cloud environments. Seamless verification without disrupting employee workflows demands significant planning and technological investment. Modern data security governance tools make this much easier.

6. Keep current with regulatory compliance

Data protection regulations are strict and the penalties are harsh for non-compliance. Staying informed about regulatory changes is critical for avoiding legal and financial repercussions. Proactively addressing compliance ensures that organizations not only meet legal requirements but also build trust with customers and stakeholders to demonstrate they’re responsible stewards of data.

Today, organizations have no choice but to regularly review and update their data security practices to align with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA. That’s why tools that provide visibility into data governance and identify areas of non-compliance are so valuable. Compliance is never easy, but it’s more manageable with the right data security governance solution.

7. Go all-in on endpoint security

Endpoints -- including laptops, smartphones, cloud hosted servers/containers and IoT devices -- are often the weakest links in an organization’s security chain. The basics that applied a decade ago still apply today: Deploy antivirus software, firewalls, and encryption tools while keeping all devices updated with the latest patches. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions can help identify and isolate compromised devices before they affect the broader network.

Securing endpoints should also complement other security measures to create a multi-layered defense system to make sure the growing number of devices connected to corporate networks don’t compromise overall security.

8. Make security awareness training frequent and engaging

Employees will always be one of the biggest weak spots in any organization’s cybersecurity posture. Social engineering attacks like phishing exploit human error rather than technical flaws. And those attacks are getting harder to spot, as the bad guys are using AI to their advantage.

With regular training, employees are better prepared to recognize and respond appropriately to threats. Interactive and engaging training sessions, phishing simulations, and gamified learning platforms are effective ways to keep employees motivated and informed. Insights from audits and analytics can shine light on common data handling mistakes and can be addressed during training.

Building a culture of security awareness transforms employees from potential liabilities into proactive defenders of sensitive data.

9. Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) even more

Passwords alone are no longer a suitable method of securing sensitive data. That’s why Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is so popular, as it requires users to verify their identity through multiple factors, such as something they know (password), something they have (a mobile device), or something they are (biometric data).

Implementing MFA significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access, even if credentials are compromised. Integrating MFA with existing systems ensures an additional layer of security when accessing sensitive data.

10. Get a comprehensive incident response plan ready

No security system is foolproof, which makes having a robust incident response plan (or IRP) very important. An IRP outlines the steps needed during and after a security breach to minimize damage and ensure a swift recovery.

An effective IRP includes clearly defined roles, communication protocols, and a detailed sequence of actions. Regularly testing and updating the plan is very important, and analytics from monitoring tools can provide insights to refine the plan based on emerging threats.

Today’s best data security strategy

Organizations should not expect their employees to be perfect stewards of data risk. The risk of data breaches and other security incidents caused by employee actions is a critical reason for a strong and comprehensive data security strategy.

The best data security strategy and/or plan is one where organizations have a clear view of where their data is, who has access to it, how sensitive it is, and what risks apply to it. Getting a full picture of risk related to all your data assets lets your strategy naturally grow.

Image Credit: Ahmadrizal7373 / Dreamstime.com

Madhu Shashanka is Chief Data Scientist and Co-Founder of Concentric AI.