Skillcast Blog

Selecting Secure Data Storage Solutions for Compliance | Skillcast

Written by Laura Evans | 20 Nov 2025

When assessing data storage solutions for your compliance training, there are many factors to take into account and balance. One of the most important is security features, from multi-factor authentication (MFA) and fine-grained permissions to encryption.

Other considerations include regulatory requirements, technical safeguards, usability and organisational needs; these vary by industry, from technology, energy and real estate to automotive, agriculture and insurance. Government, financial services and healthcare face some of the highest security and regulatory challenges.

Key takeaways

  • Secure data storage solutions keep digital information safe, using technology and policies to protect it from unauthorised access, corruption, loss or theft.
  • There are seven secure data management and storage features to consider, from encryption and access controls to compliance.
  • Secure data storage solutions for compliance training are important for numerous reasons, from personal data protection to regulatory requirements.
  • Selecting a solution involves 10 steps, from identifying business needs and assessing security features to conducting vendor risk assessments.
  • Data storage solutions to consider depend on factors such as your industry and requirements; options may include Microsoft 365, Egnyte and Dropbox Business.

Choosing secure data storage solutions for compliance training

Selecting a data storage solution for compliance training that's secure (and more) takes a structured, step-by-step approach. It's important to keep industry-specific requirements firmly in mind.

Below, we explore the topic in detail, including a handful of definitions followed by a how-to guide that can be applied to any business, be it insurance or healthcare.

What is a secure data storage solution?

Secure data storage solutions protect digital information by keeping it safe from unauthorised access, corruption, loss, or theft. They use a combination of technologies, policies and best practices to ensure data security.

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global data storage market size is forecast to grow from $255.29 billion in 2025 to $774 billion by 2032.

Did you know?

Many companies use the 'CIA triad', an information security framework that helps ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data. It's said to have first appeared in a 1976 US Air Force study, becoming widely known by the late 80s.

What makes a data storage solution secure?

Data storage can be cloud-based, on-premises or hybrid. We’ve collated a list of seven core security features to keep in mind when choosing a solution for a compliance platform (or another area of the business).

  1. Encryption: At rest (for example, info in databases or on cloud servers) and in transit (data moving between systems, apps and users).
  2. Access controls: multi-factor authentication solutions, role-based access control (RBAC), audit logs and the principle of least privilege (PoLP).
  3. Redundancy and backups: Redundant array of independent disks (RAID), distributed storage, cloud replication and frequent backups.
  4. Data integrity protection: Checksums, cryptographic hashing and versioning.
  5. Physical security: On-premises (CCTV, fire/flood protection and restricted access to servers) and cloud providers (compliance with relevant standards).
  6. Regulatory compliance: Ensuring storage aligns with industry requirements, plus data residency considerations.
  7. Resilience and recovery: High availability mechanisms (system monitoring, failover, load balancing, etc.) and disaster recovery plans (risk assessments, recovery time objectives – RTOs – hardware/software inventory, etc.).

Why does a secure data storage solution for compliance training matter?

  • Personal data protection
  • Regulatory requirements and compliance
  • Risk management
  • Sensitive material confidentiality
  • Business continuity
  • Audit readiness
  • Employee trust
  • Training records integrity

What steps can you take to select a secure data storage solution for compliance training?

Picking a secure data storage solution involves prioritising the seven features above. Alongside that, it’s about evaluating options based on your company's scale, need for control and budget. To ensure you make the right choice, take a look at our comprehensive guide.

1. What are your business and regulatory needs?

The first step is identifying which regulations, standards, and requirements apply to your organisation. This depends on your industry and geography and could include:

  • General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
  • Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (FSMA)
  • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)
  • Health and Care Act 2022
  • Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)
  • Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR)
  • Machinery Regulation and the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR)
  • Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)
  • Data Security and Protection Toolkit​ (DSPT)

Once you’re aware of your compliance obligations, it's important to define the following.

  • Compliance training scope: Ascertain what data needs protection (training records, personally identifiable information – PII – employee info, etc.).
  • Retention period for training records: For instance, some industries require proof for multiple years.
  • Integration requirements: Does the data storage solution need to link to existing compliance systems or others, such as learning management?
  • Data residency/localisation needs: Where should/must your data be processed and stored?

2. Classify your data

Three steps are involved here:

  1. Categorise training data sensitivity: For example, PII such as names and emails, training completions and assessment results.
  2. Map out access needs: Who and how many will need to see the data – for instance, compliance officers, human resources, contractors, auditors?
  3. Define user location requirements: Does access need to be on-site, remotely, internationally, or a combination?

3. Evaluate security features against your criteria

For each data storage solution for compliance training you're considering, assess the following.

  • Encryption standards
    For example, is there at rest, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256 or equivalent, and in transit, Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.2+.
  • Authentication
    Does the solution offer MFA and single sign-on (SSO), plus options to implement stronger methods?
  • Access controls
    For instance, are RBAC, fine-grained permissions and logging, and the least privilege model provided?
  • Data loss prevention
    What backup strategies, disaster recovery plans and geo-redundancy measures are in place?

Quick stat

A Microsoft research paper revealed that multi-factor authentication solutions offer "outstanding protection, with over 99.99% of MFA-enabled accounts remaining secure during the investigation period".

4. Assess capabilities of potential solutions

Alongside diving into security, evaluate other aspects of the data storage system. For example, how scalable is it? What are the resilience features, such as uptime service level agreements (SLAs) and recovery point objective (RPO)/RTO guarantees? Furthermore, verify the following.

  • Integration: Does the solution link seamlessly with other systems, and which ones, and is it compatible with SSO, Active Directory and System for Cross-domain Identity Management (SCIM) provisioning, if necessary?
  • Monitoring and reporting: Does the data storage solution support compliance-friendly reports using application programming interfaces (APIs) and offer analytics and dashboards?
  • Usability: How easy is accessing and navigating the system – for example, is the MFA user experience frictionless, particularly for non-technical employees?
  • Cross-platform access: Can you use the solution across the web and mobile, and does it have offline functionality?

5. Look into vendor compliance and certifications

For each data storage solution you’re considering, check applicable independent certifications, from ISO 27001 to SOC 2 Type II. These validate trustworthiness.

Confirm each vendor complies with relevant laws, be it GDPR or HIPAA, and verify they provide data processing agreements (DPAs).

Additionally, assess audit readiness: availability of logs (including immutable), trails and reports, plus the functionality to export data to relevant regulators.

6. Conduct vendor risk assessments

This step involves a handful of considerations, from background checks and third-party attestations to incident response SLAs. Also think about:

  • Exit strategy and portability: If you decide to switch to another data storage solution supplier, can you migrate/export data securely and in standard formats?
  • Third-party risk: Does the vendor use subcontractors, and if so, are they compliant and reputable?
  • Risk management: For each potential vendor, take a look at incident response processes, vulnerability disclosures and penetration test results.
  • Threat modelling: Identify potential security risks associated with the vendor, using a framework like STRIDE.
  • Shared responsibility model: Determine what security measures will be handled by you versus the vendor.

7. Analyse data governance and privacy

Here, it’s about ensuring potential vendors do not claim rights to your company's user data or compliance training content. It’s also important to check their data residency policies align with your needs and requirements. Additionally, verify:

  • Retention policies: How long will the vendor keep data, and does that work for you?
  • Privacy rights: Does the data storage solution vendor support the right to be forgotten, as per the UK's and EU’s GDPRs, and/or offer other privacy elements?

8. Compare vendors

As you carry out each of the previous stages, you’ll be weighing up potential vendors. This step involves collating that information by ranking solutions and creating a shortlist. With your top contenders, run small-scale pilots and gather feedback.

9. Cross-check with your compliance and legal teams

Once you’ve chosen your data storage solution vendor, the last but one step focuses on reviewing the contract and ensuring their policies align with industry regulations.

10. Implement and monitor your chosen data storage solution

Once you’re up and running, it’s important to establish processes for unauthorised access and define incident response procedures. On top of that:

  • Train employees across areas like MFA best practices
  • Periodically review vendor compliance and security posture
  • Update internal policies to align with the data storage solution
  • Carry out ongoing vendor monitoring

Secure data storage solutions for compliance training: examples

As mentioned, the data storage solution you choose will depend on the industry your organisation is part of (as will your compliance training platform). Options include:

For instance, a UK insurance company may choose Microsoft 365 because it offers MFA and SSO, broad regulatory/compliance coverage, and strong retention policies and audit logs. If they already use Microsoft Office, they’re more likely to pick that option.

How to choose the optimal data storage solution for compliance training

The process is multi-layered, from determining your business and regulatory requirements and picking a solution with MFA and strong encryption, to evaluating additional capabilities, from scalability to integration.

The data storage solution that’s right for your business will depend on other factors too, from industry and company size to budget. There are many options to mull over before making a decision. Our 10-step how-to guide can help you on your journey.

Selecting secure data storage solutions for compliance training: FAQs

What is data security?

Data security refers to protecting digital information from unauthorised access and use, theft, corruption or loss. Achieving that requires a combination of technologies, such as access controls and encryption, as well as processes and policies.

What is the Data Security and Protection Toolkit​?

As per the NHS England, the Data Security and Protection Toolkit​ (DSPT) is “an online self-assessment tool that allows organisations to measure their performance against the National Data Guardian’s 10 data security standards. All organisations that have access to NHS patient data and systems must use this toolkit to provide assurance that they are practising good data security and that personal information is handled correctly.”

What is a multi-factor authentication solution?

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a robust security measure that verifies a user’s identity via at least two distinct methods. These include something you know (a password/pin), something you have (a one-time code) and something you are (biometric data such as a fingerprint or facial recognition).

What is the difference between two-factor authentication (2FA) and MFA?

These are both security measures; however, 2FA requires two types of verification, while multi-factor authentication solutions need at least two.

What is data residency?

The physical or geographical location of your company’s data. According to data privacy laws (for example, the GDPR), you may be required to store certain information within the country or region where it’s collected.

Looking for more compliance insights?

Our Essentials Library contains e-learning content designed to help organisations meet fundamental compliance requirements. If you’re looking for focused training, our training packages offer a complete solution for your compliance programme.

Our e-learning courses are designed to engage employees with our microlearning library, which was created to support knowledge retention.

Our Compliance Portal also features a range of tools to digitise and automate your compliance learning. These include our:

If you’d like to access leading insights and compliance tips, you can browse our free resources by topic to find guides, modules, compliance bites and more.

Explore our collection

References and further reading
View full post