The security of data is the degree to which data that are collected by a company are accurate, reliable and constant. The data of a company must be reliable to be used for analysis and decision-making.
To ensure the reliability of data businesses must establish and adhere to strict quality control procedures. This could include things like data validation checks, standard formats, and rigorous data cleaning procedures. The expertise and experience of data collection experts is essential, as a seasoned team is more likely to adhere to best practices and produce reliable data. A secure data storage facility and a technological infrastructure that is up to date will also help avoid errors that could affect the reliability of data.
Utilizing inaccurate or inconsistent data can cause serious issues, both internally and externally. For example when a company’s database shows that a customer has $1000 on their account, but they actually have $100 due to a data error, this can lead to financial penalties and loss of confidence. Similarly, inaccurate sensor data from manufacturing equipment could result in product defects and recalls.
Validity and trustworthiness could be related but are different concepts. Validity is determined by whether the information is correct. For instance a list of duplicate email addresses or those that are not unique is not valid and should not be used to send out marketing emails.
Reliability is about the accuracy and consistency of the data over time – for instance, if there are two lists of email addresses for customers from different sources that are the same, but slightly different, you shouldn’t make use of them to target a specific marketing campaign as they will not work or will reach the wrong people. For this reason, it is essential to keep detailed records of the methods employed to collect and modify data, in order to ensure transparency and integrity of information.