Six essential tips for securing data during Workday feature releases with Smart Shield
Workday’s regular updates introduce powerful new features, but they can increase security risks due to elevated access levels and the involvement of multiple stakeholders during testing phases.
To help mitigate these risks, Smart Shield provides robust data masking capabilities tailored to protect sensitive data during critical periods. Here are six essential tips to optimise your use of Smart Shield during Workday’s bi-annual releases:
1. Optimise data masking rules
Fine-tune your data masking rules appropriately. Over-masking can obscure necessary data and hinder effective testing, while under-masking may expose sensitive information. Adjust your masking settings to strike the right balance based on the specific testing requirements for each update.
2. Implement appropriate authorisation policies
Include all users involved in testing in the Smart Shield authorisation policy group. This setup prevents direct access to tenant data without Smart Shield’s protections, and preserves the integrity of masked data to reduce the risk of unauthorised exposure.
3. Maintain tenant health
Verify that your tenant is in a healthy status within provisioning before starting tests. A healthy tenant ensures that there are no delays in assigning users and security groups, which could disrupt access to essential data during testing.
4. Manage and restrict user access
Clearly define and control who has access to the testing environment and what specific data they can interact with. Limit access to non-production environments to reduce risk and ensure that sensitive data is only available to those who truly need it, under controlled conditions.
5. Establish comprehensive testing plans
Create detailed testing plans that cover both new and existing functionalities. Ensure these plans are as efficient as possible, to help your team focus on critical areas without unnecessary data exposure.
6. Review and adjust proxy policies
Carefully review and adjust your proxy policies to restrict proxy access during testing phases. This minimises exposure and focuses testing efforts. With Smart Shield you can confidently expand proxy access and ensure that key documents remain protected and inaccessible to unauthorised users.
Using Smart Shield’s full capabilities during Workday’s bi-annual feature release not only secures sensitive data but also aligns with data privacy and compliance best practices. As Workday continues to evolve, proactively strengthening your data privacy measures is essential to maintain trust and support compliance. By following these tips, you can safeguard your organisation’s data and fully benefit from Workday’s latest features, enhancing both security and efficiency.