Salesforce Shield – A Complete Guide to Better Data Security and Compliance

Salesforce Shield is designed for companies serious about data protection; it allows you to encrypt data, monitor user activity, and maintain compliance effortlessly.
Fatima
August 4, 2025
Salesforce Shield

Data breaches are now more common and more dangerous than ever. In 2025, a single blunder can result in monetary loss, legal complications, and reputational damage. Businesses can no longer sit back and hope for the best—proving that their data is secure is paramount.   

Salesforce Shield offers a solution, providing additional security to your company’s Salesforce account. With tools such as encryption, activity tracking, and archival history, customer data can be securely stored while legal compliance is ensured, and proactive issue identification is possible.   

Without burdening your employees, Shield helps you stay one step ahead. Let’s explore what Salesforce Shield is, its operations, and why your business should care

What is Salesforce Shield?

Salesforce Shield is a collection of security tools integrated into Salesforce. It assists businesses in safeguarding sensitive data, complying with laws, and auditing activity within their systems.

Consider it an additional protective layer for businesses that deal with sensitive data, such as banks, government institutions, and hospitals.

The three core components of Salesforce Shield are:

Platform Encryption  

With this tool, you can encrypt data at rest, which is when stored data is transformed into a code. Only those with the right keys can view the data. Even if a break in occurs, the data is still locked away within impenetrable walls.  

Event Monitoring  

Event Monitoring lets you view all activities occurring within your Salesforce org. For instance, do you want to identify who downloaded a report or who logged in from a strange location?  Furthermore, this tool allows you to see such information instantly and assists in threat detection early.  

Field Audit Trail  

This feature allows you to track the history of changes made to vital data — for up to a decade if necessary. Meets the needs for those in highly regulated industries that require the ability to provide a verified data history for audits or legal examinations.

Why It Matters    

Certain industries have to follow strict regulations to protect their customer's data. Healthcare, finance, education, and the public sector all have heavy compliance needs such as HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or SOX. Meeting those requirements without strong tools like Shield is challenging and fraught with risks.  

Salesforce Shield makes it easier to protect, monitor, and prove you're doing things right.

What are the Features of Salesforce Shield?

Salesforce Shield Features consist of powerful tools that allow you to protect sensitive information, monitor user behavior, and maintain strict compliance requirements—all within Salesforce. This is what each tool offers:

Feature What It Does Why It’s Helpful
Event Monitoring Tracks events such as logins or report downloads, showing them in real time. Helps detect unusual or unsafe behavior.
Field Audit Trail Maintains a history of changes made to data elements, comprising multiple fields for up to 10 years. Let’s see what data was altered and when, great for audits.
Platform Encryption Protects your information even if someone gains access by transforming it into a secret code. Moreover, you can use your encryption key. Safeguards your information while smoothly integrating with your systems.

Why Salesforce Shield Is Important for Your Business?

If your business deals with sensitive information, security is non-negotiable. This is precisely why Salesforce Shield serves as a game changer. Let’s take a deeper look at the most impactful advantages that it provides to your company.

1. Data Security

Salesforce Shield has a very robust network that prevents data from being stolen or modified; therefore, your business data is safe from cyberattacks. Your data is safe even during a security attack, and Salesforce Shield offers protective measures that monitor for threats and avert problems before they escalate.  

2. Rule Compliance

Many businesses need to abide by special services like HIPAA or SOX. Salesforce Shield assists businesses by maintaining stored data, alteration records, and log files. This strengthens the legality of “work done” during an audit.  

3. Customer Trust

Salesforce Shield makes it easier to assure customers that their private information remains confidential. While customers become more trusting, customers can also be certain that their data is accessed when required.  

4. Flexibility

Salesforce Shield offers enhanced flexibility because it shows users and systems who is doing what, where they are, and identifiable prints for future reference. Actions become clearer and offer various options, which empower teams to act smart.

In short, Salesforce Shield provides your business with security, compliance, and visibility—all consolidated into a single interface. For you, that means enhanced peace of mind, while your customers' trust deepens.

Salesforce Shield Implementation Guide

Beginning with Salesforce Shield does not have to be a challenge. If you have the proper strategy, Shield can be implemented seamlessly throughout your company. This section covers it all for you - from planning all the way to best practices after launching. 

a. Pre-Implementation Considerations

Do not flip any switches just yet, take a moment to strategize. If you plan effectively from the beginning, it dramatically reduces the chances of unwanted concerns cropping up later.

  • Figure out your very own requirements. What type of information do you intend to protect? What kinds of threats are you exposed to?
  • Determine the location of your sensitive data. Search the fields, records, and objects that contain personal, financial, or medical details.
  • Familiarize yourself with the compliance regulations. Are you in adherence with HIPAA, GDPR, SOX, and other laws? List down all the items necessary for legal compliance.

Following these steps helps shield provide the right setup focus.

b. Step-by-Step Implementation

Begin implementation of Shield Features and follow these simple instructions:  

  • Set up Platform Encryption. Set what to encrypt, manage keys, and test performance.  
  • Next, set up Event Monitoring. Decide which events to monitor. Retrieve with Event Log Files or integrate with SIEM.  
  • Enable Field Audit Trail. Select Trackable fields and set retention schedules according to your audit needs.   

Each setup has its unique dashboard within Salesforce, which allows configuration of parameters without the need for coding.

c. Post-Implementation Best Practices

The activation of Shield is only the first step. To maintain the strength of your system, adhere to the following best practices.

  • Conduct regular audits. Review your system for unusual activity and who is accessing what.
  • Provide adequate training for your users. Explain to your employees how Shield operates and the importance of security.
  • Maintenance and revision should be scheduled often. Salesforce frequently releases new updates and features. Ensure your Shield configuration follows best practices requirements.

In short, these practices will keep your data secure long after deployment.

Salesforce Shield Pricing

Salesforce Shield provides additional security features—but requires extra payment. We will analyze the pricing model and what specific considerations may impact the overall cost.  

How the Pricing Works  

Salesforce Shield does not come with any standard licenses. Rather, you can purchase it separately as an add-on. This means you will incur additional costs to access the following features: Event Monitoring, Platform Encryption, and Field Audit Trail.  

Typically, the pricing follows a certain proportion of the complete Salesforce contract. On average, it is estimated to be 20% to 30% higher than your license costs. That said, the actual figure is subject to Salesforce consultations.

Which Factors Determine the Cost?  

The following factors determine the cost to be incurred:  

  • User Access: Having multiple users means incurring greater expenditure.  
  • Volume of Data: Resources and storage consumed increase with the number of records and fields that require tracking or encryption.  
  • Business Type: Organizations from the banking sector, healthcare, or government tend to require complex and secure features which may result in customize pricing.  
  • Compliance Policies: Mandatory contracts to retain data for 5–10 years may increase your Field Audit Trail costs.  

In short, anticipating your requirements, in this instance, can be very helpful.

Potential Challenges and Considerations

Salesforce Shield comes with its own set of challenges. Identifying them early will allow you to devise a plan to handle the issues more effectively.

Higher Costs for Smaller Businesses

The additional fee for Shield can be overwhelming for new businesses or medium-sized organizations. Due to its separate pricing from Salesforce licenses, it may not fit within constrained budgets. It is wise to evaluate the risk reduction against necessary spending before making any commitments.

Complex Setup

Integrating Salesforce Shield is not as easy as plug-and-play. Every feature—encryption, monitoring, and audit trails—demands meticulous planning. If there is no clear roadmap, the configuration can easily turn chaotic, particularly for groups lacking a dedicated Salesforce administrator.

Need for Expert Knowledge

Maximizing the value of Shield requires personnel knowledgeable in security, compliance, as well as Salesforce Shield's architecture. Certain businesses may need to leverage more towards outside consultants or train their staff, which both increases expenditure and time.

While these are carefully outlined challenges, they're not insurmountable. With the right strategy and proper direction, making Salesforce Shield seamlessly integrate within workflows becomes achievable for everybody, regardless of organizational size.

Salesforce Shield vs Standard Security Features

Salesforce has various security tools included within the system. Sometimes, those aren't enough. That's where Salesforce Shield comes into play. Here's how shield measures against standard features and when it makes sense to upgrade.

Features Basic Salesforce Salesforce Shield
Two-Factor Authentication
Role-Based Access Control
Field History (Last 20 changes)
Platform Encryption
Field Audit Trail (up to 10 years)
Real-Time Event Monitoring
Integration with SIEM Tools

If your company deals with sensitive or regulated data, investing in Salesforce Shield could be beneficial.

When to Choose Salesforce Shield?

Every business starts with using standard tools, which is good for basic protection. However, if your business deals with personal information, operates in controlled industries, or requires thorough visibility of the system, then Salesforce Shield would be a good upgrade.

Here are some examples:

  • Healthcare companies that need to follow HIPAA laws.
  • Banks that require an audit trail for an extended period.
  • Retailers are aiming to prevent insider attacks.
  • Technology startups want to acquire customers through exceptional security.

Anyone with a rapidly growing team or handling sensitive data will find reassurance and protection in Salesforce Shield.

Final Verdict

Why Salesforce Shield Matters in 2025? Ensuring data protection in 2025 is critical as cyber attacks become more advanced and regulations such as HIPAA and GDPR are stricter. This indicates that companies require robust mechanisms for information protection.  

Salesforce Shield aids in this situation by providing tools like Platform Encryption, Event Monitoring, and Field Audit Trail. Collectively, these features enable data safety and compliance.  

However, Shield is not only meant for providing compliance. It equally focuses on compliance. Customers who are aware of the protection of their information feel more secure. They can identify problems early on and solve them before they escalate.  

To fully benefit from Shield, it is crucial to apply the right strategies. Training staff, utilizing every available tool, and implementing regular checks for updates help in enhancing the perception of safety among clients.  

To summarize, any business aiming at enhanced security, compliance, and customer trust cannot go wrong with Salesforce Shield.

Ready to Protect Your Business with Salesforce Shield?

Proper data protection with encryption has never been so critical. With Salesforce Shield’s encryption alongside event tracking and audit trails, your business will be compliant with the top security regulations. Wouldn’t it be nice to know your business operations are safe and customer data are protected?

Contact PixelConsulting and discover today how we can assist you in integrating Salesforce Shield with your business and enhancing its security.  Don't delay—protect your data today!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Salesforce Shield?

Salesforce Shield is a set of additional protective measures for your Salesforce data, which include data encryption, user activity monitoring, and data replay capture. These measures assist in achieving compliance with privacy and security regulations.

How do I check if Salesforce Shield is turned on?

To check if Shield is enabled, look for Security Controls in Setup. Look for Event Monitoring, Platform Encryption, or Field Audit Trail. If any of these options are available, Shield is likely activated. Otherwise, reach out to your Salesforce administrator or support.

Do I need Salesforce Shield for my business?

It depends on the nature of your business. If you deal with private information, such as in healthcare or finance, or need to comply with regulations such as HIPAA and GDPR, then Shield is the right choice.  This enables businesses to strengthen security with basic protective devices.

Can I use Salesforce Shield without being a tech expert?

Some parts of Shield are straightforward. But features like encryption or data tracking can be more complex. A Salesforce consultant or expert can facilitate the setup properly and prevent potential issues.

Will Salesforce Shield work with my current Salesforce apps?

Indeed! Shield is compatible with both standard and custom applications on Salesforce. There's no need to modify anything. Simply activate the features, and your additional data protection will be enabled.


Read Also: Best Salesforce Partners For User Adoption

Author Insights:
Fatima
Hi! I’m an SEO Content Writer and Brand Copywriter who turns complex ideas into engaging and easy-to-understand content. Lately, I’ve been simplifying Salesforce, helping businesses navigate their CRM systems with confidence. My goal? To make tech and marketing feel simple, clear, and impactful.
August 4, 2025

Get In Touch With Our Experts Now

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.