Data Protection

Data protection is the practice of safeguarding sensitive information from unauthorized access, theft, or misuse. In an era when data fuels business operations and customer relationships, protecting it is both a technical necessity and a matter of trust. When that trust is broken, the consequences ripple through individuals’ lives and entire industries.

A recent class-action lawsuit illustrates the stakes. In 2025, Air France notified customers of a breach involving Salesforce, its cloud services provider. Attackers allegedly exploited compromised authentication tokens to siphon personal information, including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. The lawsuit describes Salesforce as the “hub” in a hub-and-spoke system of cloud software, with Air France and countless other companies as the spokes. Once attackers gained access at the hub, data from multiple businesses was at risk

This incident underscores a central truth about data protection: even the most trusted vendors can be vulnerable. Public assurances of security can collapse in an instant, leaving individuals exposed to fraud and identity theft. For businesses, the damage extends beyond compliance fines. A breach erodes customer confidence and disrupts operations, sometimes for years.

Protecting data requires more than just encrypting files or setting up firewalls. It involves a layered approach: access controls that limit who can reach sensitive records, monitoring systems that detect unusual activity, and backup strategies that ensure data can be recovered if systems fail or ransomware strikes. It also means classifying data so that the most sensitive—like financial details or health records—receives the strongest safeguards.

Regulators around the world, from Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to U.S. frameworks like the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, set expectations for how organizations handle personal information. Yet regulation is only one piece. Ultimately, businesses must view data protection as a responsibility to their customers. In practice, that means investing in security controls, training employees to recognize risks, and planning for recovery before a breach occurs.

The Air France and Salesforce case is not just about one airline or one vendor. It’s a reminder that every organization connected through digital platforms shares responsibility for keeping information safe. Data protection is no longer optional—it is a cornerstone of business continuity, regulatory compliance, and above all, trust.