Critical Data vs Sensitive Data

When classified data are disclosed or lost, an organization could experience tremendous unrest that impacts their business, like facing a bad reputation and loss in income.

Classified data could be critical or sensitive to a business, but what is the difference between the two ?

Sensitive data are meant to be confidential. When sensitive data are disclosed, the competitiveness stance of the business could be weakened or brutally shattered. An organization could also be put liable on a data breach if it hasn't shown due care and due diligence in managing its security.

Critical data are meant to ensure availability, in this case when data are lost, the service that relies on it will not be available, in some cases a whole business could be impacted. Critical data can range from configuration files to a set of business data.