Data classification is a simple concept yet an extremely successful one. It involves organising data into categories for efficient and effective use. When you consider the abundance of data that is created by your business every year, you can see why this is essential. However, it’s not simply a case of being more organised, there are more compelling reasons why data classification tools are a must.
Essentially, data classifications give you better clarity and control over your data. At the moment, it is likely that you have a lot of data on your system that has simply been forgotten about, and thus it is lost. This data is unrecoverable, as you don’t know where to locate it, and it is not protected either. This is extremely risky, as this data has a huge chance of being breached, and when this occurs you won’t know about it until it is too late. Did you know that a large proportion of data breaches go uncovered for months and months? By classifying data, you and your employees will have a greater understanding of your data, where it is, how critical it is, and how to use it. This will lower the chance of an expensive and damaging data breach by a considerable degree. It also creates improved user awareness regarding the data policy you have in place at your business or organisation while also ensuring that your employees are actively involved in protecting your data. The benefits extend further than this too; by keeping your data under control, you can reduce data management and storage costs, and you can be sure that your business is fully compliant.
When you take all of the points that have been mentioned into account, it is not difficult to see why data classification is critical for all businesses in the current day and age. Every day you spend without having your data classified is another day you are putting your business at serious risk of a breach.