What feature of data management helps in the protection against unauthorized access?

Robust access controls are essential in data management as they establish the necessary security measures to limit who can view, modify, or delete information. By implementing strong access control practices, organizations can ensure that only authorized personnel have the ability to access sensitive data. This can include various aspects such as user authentication (requiring usernames and passwords), role-based access controls (where users are granted permissions based on their job responsibilities), and auditing mechanisms that track data access and changes.

Such practices significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access, thereby enhancing the overall security of the data. In contrast, open data sharing practices can increase the exposure of sensitive information, automated data entry systems primarily focus on efficiency and accuracy rather than security, and consolidated data storage does not inherently provide protection against unauthorized access without accompanying security protocols.