Final answer:
Copying production data into non-production environments poses risks including potential data breaches, legal and compliance issues, and the high costs of maintaining data security. Non-production environments might have weaker security, making them more vulnerable, and regulations like GDPR and HIPAA require strict data handling practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
Copying existing production data to non-production environments can expose organizations to several risks. The most significant risks include data breaches, legal and compliance violations, and the potentially high cost of managing sensitive data in secure environments.
Data breach is one of the primary concerns when copying production data. If sensitive or personal data is exposed or accessed by unauthorized individuals, it can lead to financial loss and damage to an organization's reputation. Non-production environments often have weaker security controls, making them more vulnerable to breaches.
Legal and compliance issues can also arise from mishandling production data. Regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA have strict rules on data privacy and require certain protection measures to be in place, violations of which could result in hefty fines.
Additionally, the costs associated with securing non-production environments to the same level as production systems can be significant. This includes the technical, human, and infrastructure resources needed to ensure that data is appropriately masked or anonymized and access controls are enforced.
In conclusion, any handling of production data requires careful consideration of the risks and implementation of robust safeguards to prevent unauthorized access and ensure compliance with legal requirements.