Security News > 2022 > July > Using real customer data in testing environments creates unnecessary risk

A new study polling 1,000 software developers and startup employees found 29% of companies use unprotected production data in testing environments when testing and troubleshooting their company's software - increasing the risk of exposure in the event of a data breach.

The study found 45% of respondents said their companies have faced a major data breach within the past five years due in part to the use of data in insecure environments.

"With the rising popularity of remote work, increased data breaches and leaks are inevitable. Whether it be stolen work laptops, using real customer data in testing, or the incorrect cloud migration of data, there are a myriad of reasons why a breach can happen," said Ian Coe, CEO of Tonic.

"What's important to understand is that while a breach may happen, there are ways to safeguard the data to ensure companies are not putting their customers' information at risk."The survey revealed one way to avoid customer data breaches is to monitor and protect the data businesses use in software testing environments.

On a promising note, the study also found that 50% of businesses use data that has been de-identified or synthesized to look like customer data, in testing environments.

"Fake data is designed to respect and protect the privacy of real customer data. Companies should be responsible about their data governance and being compliant when it comes to things like personal identifiable information," said Coe.

News URL

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2022/07/29/real-customer-data-testing-environments/