Data governance truly involves a cyclical process, and organizations must revisit the stages periodically as data sources and business processes change. While various regulatory environments and business needs involve unique approaches, this post outlines the stages of a standard data governance lifecycle.

1. Define the Purpose and Goals

Any successful data governance program starts with an assessment of the current data and regulatory landscape. While technologies and trends support data governance, strategic planning should focus on identifying existing risks and business priorities.

For instance, for many organizations regulatory compliance needs provide the initial motivation for gaining control of data assets. Another key driver might include improving data quality to support AI initiatives or other innovations.

Whatever the motivation, an initial step will involve identifying risks and practices that present obstacles to attaining business goals. For example, insufficient data security will compromise regulatory compliance. And poor data quality will reduce the effectiveness of decision making and AI initiatives.

2. Build a Roadmap

With an understanding of the reasons and goals for data governance in the organization, it is time to put together a detailed plan. Begin by identifying the data elements throughout the organization. Look at the types of data collected, the data sources and data owners, and how the organization uses the data.

Next, assess the quality of the organization’s data. Several factors affect data quality. For example, outdated or redundant data will reduce the accuracy of data-driven decision making. Likewise, incomplete data will diminish the reliability of data analytics. And inconsistencies across systems and processes can lead to confusion and errors.

Once you have a detailed picture of the data landscape and the challenges involved, you can construct a data governance plan. This strategic plan will include identifying the steps needed to implement data governance, the key stakeholders, necessary resources, and priorities.

3. Design the Data Governance Strategy

Primary goals of the data governance framework involve establishing standards for data management. They also involve ensuring data security and empowering employees throughout the organization to find and use data effectively.

First, the data governance framework will include determining data governance roles and responsibilities. Properly managing data involves input from stakeholders throughout the organization. Some common roles include data governance sponsors and council, data owners, data custodians, data stewards, and data users.

Next, comprehensive policies and procedures around data access, usage, management, and security form the backbone of a data governance framework. For instance, regulations like PCI DSS and HIPAA impose strict rules around data retention. And numerous privacy laws necessitate security policies to protect sensitive data.

4. Implement the Data Governance Program

With policies and procedures outlined and strategies documented, the real work begins. Technology can play a crucial role in this process. For example, automation can significantly reduce the time involved in labeling and tracking sensitive data. Likewise, automating data retention and destruction policies improves accuracy and defensibility.

Technology solutions can both reduce risk and save time. These solutions will include proactive data security, data compliance monitoring, and comprehensive records management, along with eDiscovery solutions that provide essential visibility into unstructured data.

Additionally, the data governance program must address the human factor, building a culture of data governance from top to bottom. Thus, the program necessarily includes educating and training stakeholders about data governance policies and procedures and their role in maintaining data integrity.

5. Continuously Monitor

Data governance requires continuous monitoring to ensure enforcement of data governance policies and proactively identify risks. This includes both regular audits and automated data compliance monitoring.

6. Review and Adapt

The final stage involves evaluating the effectiveness of data governance initiatives and refining processes and policies accordingly. As new data sets and security risks emerge, and as processes within the organization change, the data governance framework will need to change, as well.

Conduct regular reviews with senior executives and key stakeholders. Track progress against key objectives, measure results, and make any needed adjustments.

Leverage Expert Resources Throughout the Stages of a Data Governance Lifecycle

Many organizations effectively utilize information governance solutions to streamline the data governance process. Working with organizations like eMazzanti Technologies and Messaging Architects provides access to both extensive expertise and cutting-edge technologies.

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In essence, the data steward acts as the guardian of data assets, ensuring their accuracy, consistency, accessibility, and usability. Data stewards generally work in IT but collaborate closely with departments across the organization. Thus, they act as a bridge between the technical and business sides, requiring a unique skillset.

Data Stewardship Puts Data Governance into Practice

Data stewardship plays a pivotal role in effective data governance, translating policies into practice. A data governance framework includes the policies and guidelines for data handling, quality, and security. Data stewards have responsibility for ensuring the implementation and enforcement of these policies.

For example, to enforce data quality standards and ensure trustworthy data for decision making, a data steward might conduct regular data audits to identify inaccuracies or inconsistencies. They could then implement data cleansing processes to eliminate duplicate entries, correct errors, and update outdated information.

Or, to ensure that data access falls within regulatory compliance restrictions, the data steward might design and oversee role-based user access controls. This helps the company achieve a fine balance between data democratization and critical data security.

In implementing data governance policies, the data steward collaborates closely with other data governance roles. For instance, data stewards work closely with data custodians, who provide technical support and maintenance related to data. They also work in tandem with data owners in various departments, as well as the data scientists who retrieve and analyze data.

Responsibilities of a Data Steward

Data stewards oversee all activities related to data management. This multi-faceted role includes several main categories of responsibility:

• Data quality assurance – This involves monitoring data for errors or inconsistencies, as well as implementing processes to maintain data accuracy.
• Data security and compliance – Data stewards ensure the protection of data from unauthorized access. They implement security measures, make sure data usage complies with legal and regulatory requirements, and raise awareness about data security best practices.
• Data accessibility and usability – Stewards balance strict data security standards with making sure that authorized users can find and use data. This involves building a data inventory, maintaining data lineage, managing metadata, and so forth.
• Data advocacy – Data stewards promote data value by educating stakeholders on data quality principles, encouraging responsible data usage, and promoting strategic uses of data, such as data-driven decision making.

Businesses May Have Multiple Data Stewards

This responsibility list looks daunting and often proves more than one data steward can reasonably accomplish. Consequently, a company may assign multiple stewards to handle various aspects of data stewardship.

For example, the organization may assign separate data stewards to work with specific types of data, such as customer data. They may also assign stewards according to business function, such as sales or R&D. Alternatively, a data steward may have responsibility for one or more IT systems, such as email.

Skills to Look for in a Data Steward

Because data stewards cover both technical and culture-focused activities, they need a balance of various types of skills. Without a doubt, the job requires technical skills, including data modeling, databases, and database management systems. And in fact, data stewards often report up through IT.

But data stewards also need interpersonal skills and business acumen. Because they act as a liaison between IT and business functions, in addition to promoting good data practices throughout the company, they must be able to communicate and collaborate effectively. Additionally, they often act as subject matter experts in their area of responsibility.

Who are Data Stewards and Why are They Important for Your Business? Explore Key Benefits

Data stewards play a central role in implementing data governance and ensuring a healthy data ecosystem. They not only protect and manage data, but they also help the company navigate a complex data landscape and leverage data for strategic advantage. And as data plays an increasingly vital part in decision making and innovation, this role has become mission critical.

To set the stage for success, hire the right people and give them the tools they need to thrive. eGovernance solutions for information governance offer powerful, cloud-based solutions to help organizations use their information effectively and drive data value.

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In the United States, the lack of any single, overarching cloud compliance law complicates the matter. Businesses must stay on top of a patchwork of federal and state laws, applicable international laws, and industry-specific regulations. This guide will help streamline the process.

Understanding the Shared Responsibility Model

Business leaders must remember that cloud compliance involves a shared responsibility between the cloud service provider and the customer. Under this shared responsibility model, cloud providers take responsibility for securing the underlying infrastructure, while the customer secures the data and workloads that live in the cloud.

For example, Microsoft secures its data centers and implements robust security around the hardware and networking equipment that supports Microsoft 365 services. It employs some encryption, provides continuous monitoring of the platform, and releases security patches for its applications.

Microsoft customers, on the other hand, must configure the Microsoft 365 security options properly and apply patches promptly. Additionally, they need to take steps to track and protect sensitive data. They must also secure user accounts and control data access. And they need to identify and protect endpoints that include every device that connects to the network.

Major Regulations to Consider

Organizations may need to comply with any number of privacy regulations, depending on their location and industry. But several key regulations apply widely and/or set the tone for other regulations. Understanding these landmark regulations will help organizations build an overall compliance strategy.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), while a European law, still applies to many US businesses, and it serves as a model for many emerging regulations here in the States.

Key requirements of GDPR include the requirement to gain clear consent before processing personal data. Individuals also have the right to access their personal data or request a transfer of that data. And businesses must notify individuals promptly if a breach occurs.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets the standard for protection of protected health information (PHI). It requires entities to implement stringent safeguards to protect PHI, including limiting PHI access to authorized personnel. It also requires organizations to encrypt PHI data, conduct regular risk assessments, and train employees.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) mandates strict controls relating to financial data and applies to all public companies in the US. It includes stringent requirements around retention and destruction of financial records. It also requires companies to strengthen IT controls around financial systems and data. And it mandates audit trails and regular risk monitoring.

Several states model their privacy laws on the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). It grants consumers the right to access and correct their data that businesses collect. It also guarantees individuals the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal data, as well as to request deletion of their data. And businesses must take reasonable security measures.

Key Steps to Building a Compliant Cloud Environment

While each regulation has specific requirements, common themes run across regulations. Prioritizing those common elements will help businesses stay ahead of the compliance game.

• Data governance – Develop a comprehensive data governance framework that includes classifying and monitoring sensitive data, tightening access controls around that data, and implementing clear policies around data retention and data sharing.
• Vendor management – Review vendor contracts to ensure necessary language regarding data privacy and security. Additionally, carefully control vendor access and perform regular supply chain audits and monitoring.

• Incident response – Create, implement, and regularly update a plan for responding to data breaches, including mandated notifications.
• Continuous monitoring – Regularly monitor compliance status and make necessary adjustments. Automated compliance monitoring streamlines this process.
• Ensure consumer control over personal data – Display privacy policies clearly on public-facing apps and websites. Include easy-to-use forms for consumers to specify their preferences regarding sharing of personal information, targeted advertising, and cookies.
• Ensure reasonable security measures – In addition to measures already mentioned, implement encryption, strong authentication methods, role-based access controls, and comprehensive network security. Deliver regular employee training around security and compliance.

Additional Tips Round Out the Ultimate Guide to Cloud Compliance

Compliance concerns require substantial time, resources, and energy. However, by wisely leveraging compliance technology such as the compliance solutions from eGovernance.com, businesses can reduce much of the pain involved in regulatory compliance.

eGovernance Compliance allows you to tackle all data compliance monitoring mandates simultaneously, including HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, SOX, PCI-DSS, and more. It gives wide visibility by connecting to all data storage locations through a single console. It also simplifies data classification, aids access control, and provides automated alerts to possible problems.

Take a proactive approach to regulatory compliance by contacting the compliance experts at eMazzanti Technologies.

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Data quality plays an essential role in strategic analytics. And AI requires a large amount of high-quality data to train the large language models (LLM) that are essential to AI systems. When determining data quality, organizations need to address several factors, including:

• Completeness – Identify any gaps or missing elements. For instance, this could include verifying that all vendor records include critical information such as valid phone numbers.
• Uniqueness – On the flip side, duplicate data will also result in skewed results. Data teams must identify and resolve duplicates regularly.
• Validity – Ensure that data conforms to predefined standards such as rules around expected format or data type. For example, check to make certain that email addresses use a valid format.
• Timeliness – Outdated information will result in faulty strategies. For instance, using old sensor data can lead technicians to create ineffectual equipment maintenance strategies.
• Accuracy – Does data reflect real world values? For example, do location-based services use accurate GPS coordinates?
• Consistency – Data teams need to compare and verify data from various sources and systems to ensure coherence. For instance, check for consistent use of product names.

Several key strategies will help streamline data quality checks and ensure that you have the data you need to guide business direction.

Implement Strategic Data Governance

Data quality does not happen by chance. It requires a robust data governance framework that includes clearly defined policies, procedures, and responsibilities. These policies outline data lifecycle management, provide for data security, and ensure regulatory compliance.

With effective data governance, companies gain visibility into all their data, no matter where it lives. They classify data, tying retention and destruction policies, as well as sharing restrictions and encryption rules, to data type. They also enhance data security by strengthening identity and access management, balancing access with security.

An essential element of data governance involves data lineage, a type of metadata that traces the movement of data throughout the organization. This “data about data” tells where the data originated, how it has been used, and how it has transformed throughout its lifecycle.

By illuminating milestones along the data journey, data lineage helps the data team determine data consistency and accuracy. And in the event of an error, it helps investigators trace issues back to the root cause.

Monitor Data Continuously

By constantly monitoring data, organizations can track sensitive data to ensure regulatory compliance. Continuous monitoring also allows the organization to perform data quality checks in real time. This allows for immediate identification and correction of data issues, ensuring that data-driven decisions are based on the most accurate and up-to-date information.

Data monitoring systems should use clearly defined metrics, tracking error rates, identifying missing values, and following data trends.

Embrace Automation

Automation smooths the way for both data governance and data monitoring. Add AI-powered tools to the mix, and managing data at scale becomes much easier and more accurate. For instance, tools such as Microsoft Purview use pattern matching and machine learning to label data much more rapidly and accurately than humans can alone.

AI-powered automation also aids policy enforcement. And it helps the organization discover and interpret new regulations and updates, even suggesting necessary changes to policies and workflows.

Fine-tune the Human Touch

To achieve success, data quality must become integrated into corporate culture at all levels and in all departments. Train both data teams and end users to identify and address data quality issues. End user knowledge of business context will prove invaluable in interpreting data anomalies and ensuring that data reflects the real world.

Best Practices for Data Quality Checks Save Future Headaches

By implementing robust data governance, monitoring data 24×7, leveraging automation, and engaging end users, companies will be able to ensure effective data quality checks. And by improving data quality, they will build a solid foundation for data-driven decision making.

eGovernance solutions for information governance and compliance monitoring arm your organization with state-of-the-art technologies and decades of experience. We will help you harness your data to inform strategy and drive innovation.

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Moving from Traditional eDiscovery to TAR

Traditional eDiscovery methods involved using keyword searches to reduce the number of documents to collect for review. In theory, this approach had merit. However, it proved both cumbersome and time-consuming.

In the first place, large volumes of data in various locations and formats make it difficult to access relevant information. Secondly, because keyword searches do not take context into account, they may miss important data.

Enter technology-assisted review (TAR), also known as predictive coding. Using AI algorithms, TAR analyzes document sets, identifying and tagging potentially relevant documents. Humans train algorithms using examples of relevant and non-relevant data. During this training phase, the algorithm learns to make educated guesses about the remaining data.

While courts have approved the use of TAR for several years, recent advances in AI promise even greater benefits.

AI Delivers Clear Benefits for eDiscovery

AI, including TAR and additional emerging tools, has the power to revolutionize eDiscovery through automating tedious tasks and offering important insights. Advantages of this technology include:

• Enhanced efficiency – By automating time-consuming tasks such as data tagging, AI can free up valuable human resources. And by prioritizing data with a higher probability of relevance, AI greatly reduces the amount of data for review. AI can also assist with creating summaries and chronologies.
• Greater accuracy – Generative AI excels at combing through large datasets to extract and highlight relevant information. AI can also assist with automatically detecting and redacting sensitive data such as PII, thus improving compliance with data privacy regulations.
• Ability to uncover hidden insights – By identifying patterns, trends, and anomalies, AI helps to reveal hidden connections that human reviewers might miss. It can also suggest documents similar to those already identified as relevant, potentially uncovering important information.
• Improved reliability, reduced bias – AI applies a consistent approach to document review throughout the process. This helps to ensure fairness and reduce inconsistencies.

Every Lucky Penny Has a Flip Side

However, with great power comes increased risk, and AI introduces several key challenges that legal teams cannot afford to overlook.

• Data security and privacy – Integrating AI into eDiscovery workflows adds another element to an already complex cyber security and privacy landscape. For instance, LLMs typically reside in cloud services such as Microsoft Azure. Additionally, threat actors can potentially poison the data used to train AI algorithms, significantly affecting output.
• Unintended bias – The accuracy of AI algorithms depends on the data used for training. An AI model trained on biased data will amplify those biases.
• Unexpected output and lack of transparency – No AI application can guarantee 100 percent accuracy, and many AI models operate as black boxes. This means that it can prove difficult to interpret how the AI tool reaches decisions. However, ethical decision making and regulatory compliance require transparency.
• Validating evidence in an era of generative AI – In addition to risks in the eDiscovery process, AI also introduces difficulties in determining the veracity of evidence. Legal teams need to ensure that they are not including deepfakes in submitted evidence.

Responsible Implementation of AI in eDiscovery

Despite these challenges, careful implementation of AI holds immense potential to continue transforming eDiscovery. Legal teams should critically evaluate AI solutions, ensure human oversight, and address ethical considerations throughout the process. With eGovernance, organizations gain access to powerful, proven AI-powered eDiscovery.

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Improved Analytics and Automation Strengthen Compliance Efforts

Through analytics and automation, AI proves a game-changer for regulatory compliance. For instance, in a constantly evolving compliance landscape, organizations struggle to keep track of regulatory changes.

AI-enhanced tools bring the ability to analyze large and diverse data sets such as industry regulations, privacy laws, internal policies, and contracts. Using natural language understanding and semantic analysis, AI can help organizations identify relevant regulations and map their internal policies and procedures accordingly.

Additionally, AI allows the automation of tedious tasks such as data collection and classification, reporting, and compliance monitoring. Automating these tasks improves both speed and accuracy. It also helps compliance officers find and track data on multiple platforms throughout the organization.

Unique Risks Necessitate Updated Strategies

However, AI also poses new compliance challenges that require a proactive approach. In the first place, AI and machine learning rely on large amounts of training data. To avoid bias and ensure effective decision-making, companies must ensure these systems have access to accurate, complete, and relevant information.

At the same time, the data used for AI training models may contain sensitive or personal information. Organizations need to adjust policies and procedures around data collection, storage, and use to make sure sensitive data remains compliant.

The rise of AI also introduces new cyber security risks. AI-powered cyber-attacks greatly increase the risk of successful phishing attempts and data breaches. To demonstrate compliance, companies must be able to show that they have implemented appropriate security measures to counter these evolving threats.

Finally, compliance requires transparency and accountability. While automation delivers key benefits, it requires human oversight. Organizations will need to disclose their use of AI systems. They must also be able to explain the logic, methods, and limitations of their AI systems to outside regulators.

Best Practices for Effectively Managing AI and Compliance

To leverage the benefits of AI while providing data security and transparency, businesses should adopt a holistic approach. For example, they should:

• Strengthen information governance with AI in mind – Effective AI depends on huge amounts of high-quality data. More than ever, businesses must know where their data lives and what their data contains. And they must carefully control AI access to data based on sensitivity and regulatory requirements.
• Adjust cyber security policies and procedures as necessary – Cyber security strategies need to account for emerging AI-powered cyber threats such as deepfakes. Additionally, security teams must guard against threat actors that attempt to manipulate AI algorithms and corrupt the data that feed them.

• Implement regular audits and compliance monitoring – Regularly audit AI systems for potential vulnerabilities. This may include adjusting algorithms to accommodate regulatory requirements. Continuous compliance monitoring should include policies specific to data usage for AI.
• Provide robust training – Businesses should provide effective training to staff on the principles, practices, and implications of AI projects. For instance, employees need to understand the potential for bias and other ethical issues. And they need to understand how to recognize and remedy potential problems with AI systems.

Build a Comprehensive and Agile Data Compliance Strategy

AI introduces new vistas in a constantly changing data environment. For compliance, it presents a double-edged sword. On the one hand, AI can streamline compliance efforts and allow organizations to effectively manage and monitor data at scale. On the other hand, AI introduces increased security risks and complicates compliance efforts.

eGovernance compliance solutions provide critical data visibility and control throughout the organization. They simplify data classification and compliance monitoring and provide critical transparency. Combined with comprehensive data security from eMazzanti, eGovernance delivers the peace of mind businesses need.

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Managing Data in Diverse Locations and Formats

The increasing adoption of cloud services, mobile devices, social media, and the IoT places substantial demands on eDiscovery systems. Data generated and stored in numerous locations and formats proves difficult to find and manage. Remote work further complicates the process by increasing the risk of data loss due to the use of personal devices and insecure networks.

For instance, data relevant to a given case may appear in videos, documents, text messages, and security camera footage. Information that lives on mobile devices or in highly disorganized data stores in legacy systems present additional challenges for legal teams.

To address these challenges, organizations should take a proactive and holistic approach to information governance. This involves implementing policies and procedures to track and secure data throughout its lifecycle. But classifying and monitoring sensitive information at scale, as well as enforcing security and privacy policies, requires automation.

AI Plays Complex Role Technology for eDiscovery

AI has become essential to automating and optimizing information governance tasks such as data classification and policy enforcement. It can also help legal teams improve the accuracy and efficiency of eDiscovery outcomes by automating data deduplication, redaction, document review, and predictive coding.

Further, AI enables more advanced capabilities like sentiment analysis and topic modeling. These capabilities help legal teams understand the context and meaning of the data, as well as identify relevant facts and patterns. Note that AI does not replace information governance. But it can help information governance personnel find and process data at scale.

On the other hand, AI adds risk to information governance and eDiscovery processes. For example, using poor quality or insufficient data to train AI algorithms can result in biased or inaccurate results. False or misleading texts in turn affect the reliability and admissibility of evidence.

Organizations using generative AI should implement best practices including flagging text generated by AI. They should also apply rigorous quality control to ensure that generated texts are accurate, relevant, and consistent with original sources. Further, clear protocols and standards for the use and disclosure of AI in discovery will prove essential.

Cloud-based eDiscovery Delivers Scalability, Efficiency

Cloud-based solutions dominate the eDiscovery technology landscape because they offer lower costs, greater scalability, and faster deployment. Additionally, they deliver vastly improved accessibility for teams spread across distance. Consequently, experts predict that legal adoption of cloud-based technology will continue to grow rapidly in the coming year.

Cloud computing allows organizations to store, process, and access large amounts of electronically stored information (ESI) from anywhere. This improves collaboration, saves time, and promotes data security by allowing responders to perform an initial data review in place.

Blockchain on the Horizon for eDiscovery

While not yet in mainstream use, blockchain technology has the power to play an increasingly useful role in enhancing eDiscovery. By recording transactions in a secure, transparent, and immutable way, it promises significant eDiscovery benefits, including:

• Verifying the authenticity and provenance of ESI
• Tracking data ownership, custody, and transfer
• Reducing the risk of data breaches by strengthening access control and encryption
• Promoting efficiency and accuracy by enabling smart contracts and automating tasks such as data collection, preservation, and review
• Enforcing compliance with regulations such as data retention policies

Proactive legal teams will keep a close eye on developments in blockchain technology, as it could have a substantial impact on eDiscovery.

Partner with Technology for eDiscovery Experts

Navigating eDiscovery challenges and opportunities requires an approach that harnesses technology for eDiscovery while instituting information governance best practices. With eGovernance solutions for eDiscovery and information governance, organizations reduce costs while simplifying processes and producing consistent, defensible results.

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Typical roles and responsibilities include data owners, stewards, custodians, and consumers, guided by a data governance committee. Individual organizations will, of course, adapt these roles according to their needs and organizational maturity.

Data Owner

The data owner refers to the person or group with authority and accountability for a specific dataset. Usually a senior manager or business leader, data owners define business requirements and rules for the data. They also establish quality standards and metrics and approve data policies and procedures.

For example, a marketing director owns customer data, overseeing customer segmentation, targeting, and personalization strategies. Likewise, a product manager owns the product data, driving the product development, launch, and feedback processes.

Data Steward

Data stewards include those responsible for implementing data policies and procedures. For instance, a data steward will help monitor data compliance with established regulations and internal standards. They may also educate the workforce on how to access, use, and share data to ensure compliance with privacy and security best practices.

Data Custodian

Data custodians oversee the technical aspects of data management. This includes the processes surrounding data storage, and well as backup and recovery, data access, and quality control.

For example, database administrators manage the databases that store the data, ensuring optimization and security. Data analysts, on the other hand, perform queries and reports on data using tools such as SQL or Python. Their insights and recommendations support decision making.

Data Consumer

Data consumers, as the name suggests, use data for a variety of purposes, from decision making to innovation. They play a key stakeholder role in data governance, as they have specific needs and expectations regarding the quality and availability of the data.

For example, marketing managers leverage data to personalize marketing campaigns. Or product managers developing new products collect data regarding user behavior to inform decisions about features to include.

Within the data governance framework, data consumers have responsibility for providing feedback and identifying issues. These may include issues such as errors or inconsistencies within the data set. They may also include problems with accessibility or data silos that diminish data value.

Data consumers also play a critical role in data security and compliance. By complying with security best practices and policies for data use, they help reduce risk.

Coordinate Data Governance Roles and Responsibilities to Drive Business Goals

The data governance committee includes stakeholders from across the organization. This committee oversees the implementation and maintenance of the data governance program. They begin by defining the vision and goals relating to the organization’s data, as well as the responsibilities of data owners, stewards, custodians, and consumers.

The committee will develop and approve data policies and procedures, ensuring they align with the company’s business goals and compliance requirements. They monitor and measure the performance of data governance activities. And they identify both risks and opportunities for improvement. Importantly, they serve as data champions.

For example, a healthcare organization’s data governance committee oversees the quality, privacy, and security of patient data across different departments. Likewise, a retail company’s data governance committee coordinates the collection and integration of customer data from various sources.

Jumpstart Data Governance Strategy with Expert Guidance

Effective data governance requires building data strategies one piece at a time. The data experts at eMazzanti Technologies and Messaging Architects will help your organization implement a structured and comprehensive program to reduce risk and increase data value.

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Information governance encompasses the overall strategy for information across the organization. This includes identifying, categorizing, and storing data. It also involves managing information lifecycles, ensuring data security and supporting eDiscovery and regulatory compliance.

IT governance, on the other hand, ensures the technical foundation and support for information governance. By implementing information governance and IT governance in coordination, organizations optimize their use of information assets. At the same time, they improve risk management, ensure regulatory compliance and drive innovation.

Data Management

Data holds tremendous potential to provide insights, improve decision making, and inform strategy. At the same time, the sheer velocity of data poses challenges. Organizations ingest huge quantities of data in various formats from a wide range of sources. But if people cannot find and access quality data when they need it, it holds little value.

IT governance supports data management by providing the tools, policies, and processes to ensure data quality and availability. This includes supporting the classification and storage of data as well as controlling information access and sharing. It also involves enabling effective and responsible archiving and destruction of data.

For example, IT governance establishes the data architecture necessary to ensure that all team members can access accurate information, regardless of their location. It also provides data analytics and visualization tools to enable data exploration and reporting.

Risk Management

Any business activity entails risk that can negatively impact the company’s performance, reputation, and even its bottom line. Insufficient cyber security measures introduce the risk of data breach, for instance. Likewise, natural disasters and ransomware can interrupt business continuity and result in crippling data loss.

Risk management requires IT governance to provide the necessary resources and processes to enable risk identification, analysis, and response. For example, effective IT governance provides for risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities of IT systems and processes. It will also include the implementation of strategies and controls to close security gaps moving forward.

Additionally, risk management must include implementing data backup and recovery procedures as part of an overall business continuity strategy. And once the organization has identified risks and initiated mitigation strategies, ongoing IT monitoring enables timely resolution of any issues.

Compliance Management

Effective risk management forms a critical component of overall compliance management. Regulatory compliance plays a critical role in avoiding legal penalties, maintaining trust, and achieving competitive advantage. For many organizations, compliance challenges provide the initial motivation for developing and implementing information governance programs.

Here again, IT governance supports compliance management by providing necessary systems and processes to enable compliance evidence and improvement. This includes policies and procedures around data privacy and security. It also includes a strong reporting component to establish proof of compliance with applicable legislation and industry standards.

Innovation

Data plays an increasingly important role in guiding innovation. For example, by analyzing data from various sources, the company can understand what customers need and value. Data also provides insights into gaps and opportunities in current product offerings. With these insights, the organization can then design and deliver solutions specifically targeted to customer needs.

IT governance supports data-driven innovation by fostering a culture of experimentation and collaboration while providing the necessary resources and guidance. This often includes delivering the guidance and structure to responsibly and successfully leverage emerging technologies such as AI.

Optimize Use of Information Assets with Effective IT Governance

By coordinating IT governance and information governance, organizations increase the value of data assets while reducing risk, achieving compliance, and supporting innovation. This requires ensuring that IT infrastructure and operations are automated and integrated where feasible. It also involves using best practices to enhance information security, quality and availability.

Consider seeking external guidance and support as you develop your governance strategies. For instance, the consultants at eMazzanti and Messaging Architects bring a wealth of experience and tools to help you unlock the power of data for your organization.

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However, implementing effective information governance requires careful planning and coordination. And it takes time. Organizations should start with a comprehensive data audit to inform next steps. Leveraging information governance consulting services will streamline the process.

Assess Your Current State and Future Data Goals

To begin with, the organization must learn what data it has and where it lives. An initial data audit will develop a picture of data across the enterprise. The audit includes components such as:

• Data mapping – The organization must identify where data lives and how it is stored. This will include understanding information infrastructure elements such as document libraries. It will encompass all storage locations, whether on premises or in the cloud. And it will involve identifying sensitive data.
• Determining data quality – Duplicates, outdated information, and data silos all affect the quality of data. Likewise, access issues affect the usefulness of data. If the right people cannot find and access the information they need quickly and securely, the data holds little value.
• Assessing data processes and policies – Determine what information policies exist and whether they are enforced. These include policies for accessing and sharing data as well as policies for retaining and destroying information.
• Evaluating information security – A cyber security assessment reviews the policies and security controls governing information storage, movement, and access. And it evaluates existing security measures against regulatory requirements, industry standards and business needs.

With an understanding of the current state of information, the organization can define its vision and goals for information governance, aligning those goals with business needs.

Locate and Classify Data

Data classification proves foundational to good information governance. Sensitive and important data may be hidden in documents, meeting minutes, emails, chats and more. Labeling sensitive data allows data stewards to track that data and apply essential protections such as encryption and sharing restrictions.

Manually locating and tagging data proves difficult if not impossible at scale. But AI-powered tools automate the process of finding and classifying data wherever it lives. Properly classified data simplifies regulatory compliance and eases the eDiscovery process.

Define and Implement Data Lifecycle Policies

Data classification plays a key role in enforcing data retention and destruction policies. Regulations such as PCI DSS and HIPAA include strict rules around the minimum amount of time to retain certain types of information. On the other hand, information retained too long can become a liability.

Automating retention policies according to data type gives the organization a defensible way to maintain regulatory compliance. Because regulations and business priorities evolve over time, data stewards should regularly review and update retention policies.

Ensure Compliance Management

To address mandates from a wide variety of regulations, an effective information governance strategy should include regular compliance monitoring. eGovernance monitoring tools deliver visibility into sensitive data from a single console. Content alerts and reports allow for proactive remediation. And monitoring provides proof of policy demanded by many regulations.

Build Comprehensive Data Security

Data security works hand in hand with compliance monitoring as an essential element of information governance. While regulatory compliance mandates reasonable security precautions, organizations must move beyond checkbox compliance to protect against data breaches.

A risk assessment will highlight vulnerabilities and provide a basis for security planning. Security strategies must include ensuring proper access management. Endpoint protection, encryption, data backups, and multifactor authentication prove critical, as well. And organizations must address supply chain security and provide regular security awareness training for all staff.

Adapt Information Governance Strategy to Business Needs

Company structure, business priorities and specific industry requirements all play a role in information governance. Consequently, the optimal strategy will look different from one company to another. In every organization, however, effective information governance requires engagement of stakeholders and users throughout the organization.

eGovernance delivers a cloud-based information governance solution. Our consultants will work with your organization to design and implement an information governance strategy customized to your specific business needs.

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