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Safeguarding Sensitive Customer Data in Zeotap CDP with Raw PII Encryption

Brands today face a dilemma when it comes to sharing their valuable first-party (1P) data in its raw format. Concerns about its potential misuse on third-party (3P) platforms often lead to hesitations in data sharing, limiting the activation possibilities across various platforms that rely on raw identifiers such as email and SMS. Recognising these challenges, Zeotap has developed a secure platform that prioritises end-to-end storage of customer data across all touchpoints. 

In this blog, we delve into Zeotap’s commitment to addressing these concerns and striking the delicate balance between data security and activation. We will explore how Zeotap’s PII data encryption in Zeotap CDP ensures the highest level of security while enabling seamless activation on multiple platforms. Join us as we navigate the realm of data privacy and uncover the innovative solutions offered by Zeotap.

Empowering Brands with Zeotap’s PII Data Encryption

At Zeotap, we prioritise our clients’ worries about data security and privacy. However, we also recognise the importance of optimising for marketing goals and achieving maximum activation in advertising and marketing initiatives. Balancing both security and activation is crucial for any innovative solution. PII Data Encryption is a powerful feature offered by Zeotap that allows brands to securely send and store their customers’ raw Personal Identifiable Information (PII) data within Zeotap CDP. This encryption ensures the utmost security while facilitating easier activation in the platforms of your choice.

How it works

From the moment customer data enters Zeotap CDP until it is activated on multiple platforms, encrypted at rest as well as during access within the Zeotap platform. Brands have the flexibility to choose the platforms where raw data should be activated, and Zeotap strictly follows the brand’s permissions for data activation. This approach ensures privacy and security without compromising on activation capabilities.

We offer a highly secure environment to store and utilise both hashed and raw PII data within Zeotap CDP. We recognise the importance of maintaining the confidentiality and privacy of your data across multiple activation channels. With Zeotap, you can trust that your PII data is protected and handled with utmost care throughout your access and usage journey as we utilise a sophisticated algorithm to mask and protect your data. The encryption process employs an asymmetric encryption method, utilising separate keys for encryption and decryption. By transforming plain text into an unreadable form called “ciphertext,” your data remains secure until it is decrypted using the designated decryption key. This approach is designed to prioritise user privacy and safeguard sensitive customer data during transmission across networks.

Here’s how Zeotap ensures privacy and security.

During Data Ingestion

As you onboard your customer’s data into Zeotap CDP, one crucial step is to flag the raw PII. By clearly identifying and categorising the raw PII fields, you ensure accurate handling and secure processing of sensitive data within Zeotap CDP. 

Encrypting the Data

To safeguard the confidentiality of your raw PII data, any information marked as Raw PII in while onboarding, is encrypted before storage in the Zeotap system. This encryption process ensures that the data remains protected throughout its lifecycle within Zeotap CDP.

Zeotap utilises the RSA Encryption Algorithm, a widely recognised encryption standard, to secure the raw PII data. Once classified, the PII information is masked across the user interface (UI), providing an additional layer of data protection. The encrypted data is accessible only to downstream systems for activation purposes, ensuring maximum security.

While Activation

Zeotap allows the selection of identifiers and platforms, and raw data is only shared where necessary and confirmed by the brand. When a campaign requires raw PII identifiers, such as email addresses or phone numbers, for execution on specific platforms, Zeotap’s system decrypts and pushes the necessary information based on the campaign setup and platform’s requirements. For example, if a platform accepts both hashed and unhashed identifiers, Zeotap sends only the hashed identifier to maintain privacy.

When raw PII data is pushed to a destination that requires such information, Zeotap securely decrypts and shares the data using an asynchronous key generated specifically for your organisation. This ensures that the decrypted data is shared only with authorised recipients and destinations, maintaining the privacy and integrity of your raw PII data.

How Zeotap CDP resolves data concerns for marketers and the CISO

In the past, Sam, a marketer, used to collect the email addresses of customers from the in-house data team to create email campaigns. However, this practice raised concerns for John, the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the brand, as it violated the brand’s policy regarding the handling of raw and sensitive customer data. It posed a risk to privacy and security.

To address these concerns, the brand integrated Zeotap CDP into its marketing operations. This integration resolved the privacy and security issues associated with customer data. John now has peace of mind knowing that the customer data is handled in a compliant and secure manner.

With Zeotap CDP, Sam can now conduct email campaigns and define personalised journeys for customers without compromising privacy. Raw identifiers, such as email addresses, are no longer exposed in their original form. Instead, Zeotap CDP employs techniques like hashing or encryption to transform and protect the raw identifiers.

This means that Sam can still leverage customer data effectively while adhering to privacy regulations and safeguarding sensitive information. The integration with Zeotap CDP allows the brand to maintain a high level of data privacy and security, ensuring both compliance and efficient marketing practices.

In conclusion, Zeotap provides a robust solution for brands grappling with the challenge of sharing raw data securely. By leveraging PII Data Encryption in Zeotap CDP, brands can safely store and transmit sensitive customer information in an encrypted format, guaranteeing optimal data security. If you’re eager to experience the benefits of Zeotap CDP’s Raw PII Data Encryption firsthand, don’t hesitate to request a demo. We’re thrilled to address any questions or requests you may have. Contact us today to learn more!

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