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Data States and Types

Updated Jan 30, 2024 ·

Data States​

Data can exist in different states depending on how it is being handled or stored.

Data at Rest​

Data stored in a physical location, such as a hard drive, database, or cloud storage.

  • Vulnerable to physical theft or unauthorized access
  • Targeted by attacks that compromise storage systems.
  • Nt actively moving or being transferred between systems.
  • Protected by physical security, access controls, and monitoring.

Data in Use​

Data currently being processed, manipulated, or accessed by an application or user.

  • Includes data analyzed by software or accessed by users
  • Vulnerable to unauthorized access, memory exploits, and insider threats
  • Protected by application security, authentication, authorization
  • Other methods: data masking, and memory protection techniques (e.g., ASLR)

Data in Transit​

Data actively moving between locations or systems, such as over networks, between servers, or through communication channels.

  • Sent via email, the internet, or communication between networked devices.
  • Data remains unreadable without the proper decryption key.
  • TLS (Transport Layer Security) and VPNs (Virtual Private Networks)
  • Data in transit is susceptible to interception and eavesdropping.

Data Types​

By Nature​

  • Structured Data

    • Organized in a defined format, like tables or databases
    • Elements are easily identifiable
    • Example: Excel spreadsheets, SQL databases

  • Unstructured Data

    • No specific format or structure
    • Harder to organize and analyze
    • Example: Text documents, emails, images

  • Semi-structured Data

    • Partially organized, often with metadata
    • Not fully structured like databases
    • Example: JSON, XML

By Format​

  • Text Data

    • Information stored in a text-based format
    • Example: documents, emails, or code.

  • Numeric Data

    • Data represented by numbers
    • Financial data, statistics, or sensor readings.

  • Binary Data

    • Data represented in binary form
    • Includes computer files, images, videos, or audio.

By Use​

  • Operational Data

    • Data used in day-to-day operations, like customer records
    • Example: Sales transactions, or inventory information.

  • Analytical Data

    • Data used for analysis and business intelligence
    • Often derived from operational data.

  • Master Data

    • Core business data that is consistent across different systems
    • Example: Customer or product information.

  • Metadata

    • Data about data
    • Provides information on the properties of data.

By Origin​

  • Primary Data

    • Collected directly from original sources
    • Example: Surveys, experiments, direct observations

  • Secondary Data

    • Derived from existing sources
    • Example: Reports, studies, databases

By Sensitivity​

  • Non-sensitive Data

    • Low-risk or public information
    • Does not require strict security measures

  • Sensitive Data

    • Requires special protection due to privacy or security concernS

    • Examples:

      • Regulated data

        • Covered by legal regulations
        • Subject to privacy rules

      • Trade secrets

        • Confidential information
        • Critical to business competitiveness

      • Intellectual property

        • Valuable creations
        • Requires protection from theft or misuse

      • Legal information

        • Confidential matters
        • Includes attorney-client communications

      • Financial information

        • Sensitive financial details
        • Protects against fraud and identity theft