Discover and Classify Your Data

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Major Business Pain Points

  • Huge volumes of all different types of data make data discovery a daunting task. With such backlogs of information, it can be difficult to figure out where to start classification.
  • End users are one of the weakest links in data security. Ensuring their ability to accurately classify and handle sensitive information requires significant awareness and training.
Discover and Classify Your Data-Pain Points

Recommendations

Key Points

Data classification is a huge undertaking, and the process is never really finished, as new data is created daily. However, the stress can be managed by following these tips:

  • Avoid analysis paralysis
    Classifying all your data at once may not be feasible. Start small, quantify your results, report them to management, and then go back and tackle a larger portion. For many, it may be best to focus on classifying new data as it is created. Once the process is smoothed out, then move on to classifying legacy data.
  • Remember that data is dynamic
    Data, by its nature, does not stay static. A piece of data’s criticality will peak, but strategic reassessment will eliminate under/overprotection of data. Data classification must be a program, not a project.
  • Classify what matters
    Focus the program on data whose classification is measurable, auditable, and manageable.
Discover and Classify Your Data-Recommendations

Approach

This blueprint will help you to understand where your data lives and who has access to it so that you can develop an appropriate data classification system by conducting interviews with data owners and by incorporating vendor solutions to make the process more manageable and end-user friendly.

  • Formalize the data classification initiative with the proper policies and handling standards, as well as a structured steering committee to ensure accountability and consistency.
  • Understand where your data lives and what controls are implemented to protect it. Make sure the protection is proportional to the sensitivity and criticality of the assets.
  • Understand what tools are available to implement an efficient data classification program – whether provided by a third party or done in-house. Know how and when to revisit classifications to keep them up to date.
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Methodology and Tools

Executive Brief

Read the concise Executive Brief to find out why you should classify your data and review the methodology.

  • Discover and Classify Your Data – Executive Brief
  • Discover and Classify Your Data – Phases 1-3

1. Formalize the classification program

Begin by understanding the importance of data classification and how to develop a classification program.

  • Discover and Classify Your Data – Phase 1: Formalize the Classification Program
  • Data Classification Steering Committee Charter
  • Data Classification Policy
  • Data Classification Standard
  • User Data Handling Requirements Tool
  • Data Classification RACI Tool

2. Discover the data

Understand the importance of data discovery and how to incorporate human- and technology-based tools to simplify the discovery process.

  • Discover and Classify Your Data – Phase 2: Discover the Data
  • Data Discovery Interview Tracking Tool

3. Classify the data

Implement the classification program in order to make sure it has the appropriate level of protection.

  • Discover and Classify Your Data – Phase 3: Classify the Data
  • Data Classification Inventory Tool
  • Data Classification Verification Tool
  • Data Classification Metrics Tracking Tool

Data Classification Awareness Pamphlet

  • Data Classification Awareness Poster

All resources on this page are provided to Cyber Leadership Hub members under license from third parties including Info-Tech Research Group Inc, a global leader in providing IT research and advice.