Evolving Unified Data Management: Tools, Best Practices, and Key Metrics

Best Practices for Information Governance  

Implementing best practices for information governance (IG) helps organizations manage their data more effectively and mitigate risks. Here are some best practices: 

Establish a Cross-Functional Team 

An effective program requires the involvement of various stakeholders across the organization. Establish a cross-functional team that includes IT, legal, compliance, and business leaders to ensure that all aspects of data management are considered. Taking this time at the beginning of the project ensures that needs and requirements across the organization are met. 

Develop a Comprehensive Policy Framework 

Develop a comprehensive policy framework that covers all aspects of data management, including data creation, storage, access, use, and disposal. Policies should be consistent with legal and regulatory requirements, as well as the organization's business objectives. 

Conduct Regular Data Risk Assessments 

Regular data risk assessments can help identify potential threats to the organization's data including data breaches, cyber-attacks, and compliance violations. By regularly conducting risk assessments, organizations can identify potential threats and develop strategies to mitigate them. 

Implement Appropriate Technology Solutions

Data classification, retention, and disposal requirements must be understood so a tool can be selected that aligns with an organization's solutions and their unified data management needs.

Provide Employee Training and Awareness

Develop training programs that educate employees on the importance of data management, the policies and procedures, and their responsibilities in managing organizational data. Ensure that employees are aware of the potential risks associated with data management and are equipped with the knowledge and skills to manage data effectively. 

Monitor and Review the Program 

Develop a monitoring and review plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the IG program and identify opportunities for improvement. Regularly review organizational policies and procedures, technology solutions, and employee training programs to ensure that they remain aligned with legal and regulatory requirements and the organization's business objectives. 

Continuously Improve the Program 

Implement a process for continuously improving the IG program. This involves evaluating the program regularly, identifying gaps, evolving with best practices and implementing necessary changes to improve the program's effectiveness. 

Information Governance Tools and Technologies 

Information governance involves managing an organization's information assets throughout its lifecycle, from creation until disposal. To support this process, several tools and technologies are available to assist organizations in their efforts. Some common types of information governance tools and technologies are: 

Data Classification Tools 

Data classification tools help organizations identify and categorize their data according to its sensitivity, regulatory requirements, and other criteria. This helps organizations apply appropriate controls to ensure effective data protection and compliance. 

Information Governance Platforms 

Information governance platforms are software solutions that help organizations manage their digital assets across their entire lifecycle. These platforms provide capabilities such as document management, records management, data retention management, eDiscovery, and compliance management. 

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Tools 

DLP tools help organizations prevent data breaches by identifying and preventing the unauthorized transmission of sensitive data including personal identifiable information (PII), credit card numbers, and financial information. 

Archiving and Storage Management Tools 

Archiving and storage management tools help organizations manage the retention, storage, and disposition of their data. These tools ensure that data is stored efficiently, retrieved quickly, and disposed of securely in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. 

Metadata Management Tools 

Metadata management tools help organizations manage metadata, which is data about data. Metadata includes information such as file names, data types, and data owners. Managing metadata is essential for data discovery, access control, and compliance. 

Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) Tools 

GRC tools provide a framework for managing risk and compliance. These tools help organizations identify, assess, and manage risks and compliance requirements across their operations. 

Some tools are capable of performing many of the functions listed above. Cloudficient’s Expireon is an archiving and storage management tool that also performs many information governance and GRC capabilities. Selecting a capable tool like Expireon will allow organizations to employ a few interconnected tools instead of a large, confusing information governance web like most large organizations have.  

By consolidating an organization’s information assets, their data is easier to search in event of litigation and can be utilized for decision-making. Both of these give a competitive advantage over organizations stretching time and resources over many environments. 

Important KPIs for Measuring an Organization’s Information Governance Effectiveness 

Effective information governance allows organizations to ensure their data is properly managed, protected, and compliant with their regulatory requirements. However, it can be difficult to measure the effectiveness of an IG framework. By using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), organizations can gain insight into how well they are managing information assets, maintaining compliance, and supporting long-term goals. Some important KPIs are:

Compliance with regulations and industry standards: This KPI measures the organization's ability to comply with relevant regulations and standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 27001. In many organizations, this compliance can be measured by internal or external auditing teams. For some industries demonstrating compliance is critical for doing business and may give your organization a competitive advantage.

Information security incidents: Measures the number of security incidents related to an organization’s information assets, such as data breaches, cyberattacks, and unauthorized access attempts. This can be a difficult metric to track because not everything is going to be reported or recorded; For example would the loss of a USB storage device be properly reported in a large organization? 

Information asset classification: This KPI tracks how much of an organization’s information has been categorized based on how important and sensitive that information is. It also accounts for the security measures each document requires to be properly protected. Data retention and disposal: This KPI measures the organization's ability to manage the lifecycle of its information assets, including how long they are retained and how they are securely disposed of when no longer needed. 

Data quality: Measures the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of data across the organization, including how effectively it is collected, stored, and shared. In some organizations, this might be referred to as a single source of truth. For example, customer data, including references to customers, should be stored in a single system accessible across your entire organization. Some organizations have the same data stored in multiple places. Because this is an inefficient practice it would lower the organization's data quality score. 

User access controls: This KPI measures the organization's ability to manage user access to information assets, including the creation and management of user accounts, password policies, and user permissions. Some organizations also track who has access to data and can monitor when it was accessed. (See the point below) 

Information asset usage: This KPI measures how frequently information assets are accessed, who accesses them, and how they are being used. In some organizations, downloading information isn't permitted. This is a safeguard to prevent data from leaking to other, unintended applications. 

Audit and monitoring: This KPI measures the organization's ability to conduct audits of information assets and monitor access to them, including how effectively incidents are identified and resolved. 

By tracking these KPIs, organizations can gain insight into the effectiveness of their Information Governance program and identify areas for improvement. Almost all organizations are on a constant journey when it comes to information governance, especially organizations performing mergers and acquisitions (as those additional environments add to the complexity, and take time to integrate with the organization’s main tenant).