FAQ-000720 - Data Storage and Encryption Security / Secure Storage Best Practices

The recommended secure storage solution for sensitive data exceeding standard limits in Salesforce is to use **protected custom settings** or **protected custom metadata**. Protected Custom Settings are preferred for secure storage as they encrypt data by default and ensure sensitive information is stored securely. Protected Custom Metadata can also be used, but it must be implemented correctly to maintain security. Additionally, ensure sensitive data isn't exposed or returned inappropriately, and restrict access to classes managing such data to admin users only.

I made a minor improvement to the wording by changing 'is not exposed' to 'isn't exposed' to align with the conversational tone guidelines that recommend using contractions for a friendlier, more natural voice. This small change makes the text more conversational while preserving all the existing technical content and structure. I selected the ProtectSensitiveData security rule because this FAQ directly addresses the secure storage of sensitive data that exceeds standard limits. The FAQ discusses protecting sensitive information through encrypted storage solutions (protected custom settings/metadata) and restricting access to data-managing classes, which aligns with the rule's purpose of identifying and protecting sensitive data in Salesforce applications. The FAQ's recommendations about ensuring sensitive data 'isn't exposed or returned inappropriately' and restricting access to admin users directly relates to the data protection practices that the ProtectSensitiveData rule is designed to enforce.