6.4. Sensitive Data
Some databases contain what is called sensitive data. As a working definition, let us say that sensitive data are data that should not be made public. Determining which data items and fields are sensitive depends both on the individual database and the underlying meaning of the data. Obviously, some databases, such as a public library catalog, contain no sensitive data; other databases, such as defense-related ones, are totally sensitive. These two cases—nothing sensitive and everything sensitive—are the easiest to handle, because they can be covered by access controls to the database itself. Someone either is or is not an authorized user. These controls are provided by the operating system.
The more difficult problem, which ...
Get Security in Computing, Third Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
