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How to Discover and Protect Sensitive Data Using CLI and SQL Tools

Handling sensitive data requires more than just good intentions. From credit card numbers to personal IDs, you need to know where sensitive data lives and how to secure it.

This post walks through core techniques—classification, masking, encryption, access—and the tools that make them work.

Why It Matters

Sensitive data is a liability if not handled right. Discovery helps:

  • Avoid fines
  • Prevent breaches
  • Build trust

Key Steps in Sensitive Data Discovery

Classification

Detect high-risk data.

grep -rE "(SSN|credit card|password)" ./files/
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Masking

Sanitize sensitive fields.

UPDATE employees SET ssn = 'XXX-XX-XXXX';
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Encryption

Secure stored data.

openssl aes-256-cbc -salt -in private.csv -out secure.csv
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Access Control

Limit who sees what.

GRANT SELECT ON payroll TO hr_user;
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Monitoring

Track changes and access.

auditctl -w /sensitive -p rwxa -k audit-key
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Recommended Tools

  • DbVisualizer – Secure SQL client
  • Apache Atlas – Metadata + classification
  • Informatica – Masking sensitive data live
  • OpenSSL – Encrypt files quickly
  • RBAC – Control access by role
  • Splunk – Track user activity

FAQ

What’s discovery?

Finding sensitive data in systems.

Why mask data?

To avoid exposing real values in dev/test.

How does encryption help?

It makes data unreadable without a key.

What tools should I use?

Start with DbVisualizer, OpenSSL, and Atlas.

What are access controls?

Limits based on roles or user types.

Conclusion

Sensitive data discovery is more than scanning—it’s a process. You classify, mask, encrypt, restrict, and monitor.

With the right tools and approach, you protect both your data and your organization.

Read Sensitive Data Discovery: Best Practices and Tools for Secure Management article for more information.

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