Today’s infosec teams often face new and complex challenges in an increasingly unpredictable digital environment. They are responsible for protecting an overwhelming amount of data across multiple systems. Moreover, they face an increasing attack surface and an unprecedented frequency of breaches.
In 2023, the global average cost of a data breach surged to US$4.45 million,1 an increase of 15% over the past 3 years. Legal and regulatory bodies have continuously tightened security standards in response, with updated rules being released each year.
Organizations are subject to multiple regulations governing data retention and storage, information systems, sensitive data, and consumer privacy. This regulatory compliance, coupled with pressure from consumers and stakeholders, demands a formal IT governance framework to ensure data security.
The Challenge: Disconnected Data and Operational Silos
Many organizations manage their data privacy and security initiatives in isolated silos. It is common for privacy teams to manage data mapping and maintain records of processing activities (RoPA), security teams to monitor risk and controls, and data governance teams to build data catalogs and enforce stewardship. This fragmented approach is underscored by a recent survey revealing that 75% of executives perceive their organizations as overly complex thereby increasing risk exposure.2
Complexity often gets in the way of good understanding, and a good understanding of an organization’s data—from the types and volume to the storage and disposal—is key to building a security infrastructure.
A good understanding of an organization’s data—from the types and volume to the storage and disposal—is key to building a security infrastructure.Left unchecked, siloed environments and unnecessary complexities can create inefficiencies, duplicative data, and wasted resources, making it difficult to maintain end-to-end security.
The Solution: Increased Visibility Across Ecosystems
While most infosec leaders have a plan for IT governance, they often lack a comprehensive view of data and its associated risk. Even the best-laid plans will fail without the visibility to put the required policies into practice.
Operational visibility will eliminate silos and complex workflows, delivering real-time insight into the what, the why, and the where of data.
Consolidating this information helps identify any blind spots and compliance gaps, helping to safeguard against potential risk. By understanding how IT governance impacts day-to-day operations, organizations can optimize programs to suit their unique needs and goals.
Key Questions to Consider
When implementing an IT governance program, there are critical questions to ask. Answering these questions can help create a more in-depth understanding of an organization’s data:
- What are the organization’s strategic objectives and how does IT governance align with them?
- What types of sensitive and business-critical data are collected and where is the data stored?
- How is sensitive data managed, classified, and protected?
- What policies ensure data security?
- How is data risk currently managed and what gaps exist?
- What are the relevant regulatory frameworks and compliance standards applicable to the industry?
- What roles and responsibilities are required in the IT governance program?
- How will the organization adapt to changes in technology, regulations, and strategic objectives?
With a clear understanding of the need for an IT governance framework, there are 3 recommended steps an organization can take to establish a sustainable program for data security:
- Discovery—Start by identifying and classifying sensitive and business-critical data using a robust data classification system. An automated system enables teams to monitor and analyze data assets, prioritizing those with the highest value to the organization.
- Control—Protect and govern sensitive data through automated policy orchestration and remediation actions. Policies help define data handling across its lifecycle, ensuring consistent and enforceable controls. Remediation actions, such as access revocation or data encryption, are triggered in the event of a policy violation to immediately protect sensitive data.
- Activate—Enable privacy, data, and business teams to automate compliance activities and promote responsible data use. Cross-functional collaboration is essential to implement compliance activities and responsible data use in accordance with established governance policies.
Armed with the requisite knowledge and a strategic action plan, organizations are well-equipped to build a robust and enduring data security program.
Streamline IT Governance Using Technology
Organizations should consider leveraging tools and technologies to navigate the evolving demands of IT governance. Purposeful solutions that integrate with existing infrastructure and automate routine tasks can streamline most of the workload, from data discovery to compliance activities. They allow teams to bypass manual stopgaps and mitigate risk without disrupting business operations.
Ultimately, reinforcing IT governance and visibility increases helps reduce risk, maximize resources, and generate the greatest value for the organization.
Endnotes
1 IBM, Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023, 2023
2 PricewaterhouseCoopers, “Is Your Organization Too Complex to Secure?”
Felix Muckenfuß, CIPM, CIPP/E
Is a data and AI governance specialist at OneTrust. In this role, he supports the OneTrust Privacy and Data Governance Cloud, advising enterprises on how to transform privacy compliance into trusted and ethical data use.