Why Data Security is more important than ever

Most businesses are well aware of these risks, but properly securing data in complex enterprise environments poses a major challenge. A proactive approach to data security will be required for even the most diligent organizations to ensure data is kept safe and regulatory and reputational fallout are avoided.

Regulations are intensifying worldwide

Strict privacy regulations exist across the globe and continue to intensify as data privacy becomes a government policy priority. Businesses must understand how to operate under these changing regulatory conditions or face severe fines. When Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation was put into effect, it marked this rise and strengthening of privacy laws. Based on the GDPR, adaptations were implemented into Australia’s Privacy Act 1988 and California’s CCPA. There are added regulations specific to different industries, in addition to these general laws. Examples include BCBS 239, which acts to scrutinize risk data aggregation and internal risk reporting practices of banks, and HIPAA, which specifies the standard to which USA healthcare organizations must secure private health information. In this context of increasing regulatory obligations worldwide, ensuring compliance with enterprise grade Data Security is a top priority for future-proof organizations.

Challenges with Data Security

The first problem organizations face is not knowing where their data lies. Regardless of size, businesses more often than not have uncataloged data that is not even known about. Before any measures to manage and control how data is handled within your organization, it is important that you know what data is there and understand its nature. Furthermore, this data can exist in various unrecognizable forms. 

Implementing policy is often a prolonged process that is costly and drains expert effort. Across the varied departments within enterprises, staff must be able to identify what data assets are CDEs, that only those with the correct authority can access them, and that the data is handled optimally. After installing guardrails against mishandling, dealing with data efficiently also becomes a priority. This is especially hard as enforcement of policy often relies on SME knowledge that is siloed. 

Costs are sure to build up through lost value due to slows in your business and poor efforts of coordinating policies or manifest in hefty fines. Retaining compliance whilst working with efficiency is a near impossible balancing act for businesses without an enterprise-grade Data Security platform, like the Alex Augmented Data Catalog.

Complete Security Solution

The Alex Platform is a true Enterprise Data Catalog. From its conception, Alex has taken upon a technologically agnostic approach, embedding any and all best-in-class features that businesses would need from a metadata management framework. Alex is equipped with the world’s largest repository of metadata connectors, that can quickly collate all of an enterprise’s data at scale. 

Straight OOTB, all sensitive data like PIII, PHI and PCI can automatically be detected and profiled so that your CIO can easily implement policy controls that instantly apply across the whole organization. They are provided with a high level of configuration, allowing for data security settings that are perfect, specific to each situation. CDEs are highly visible and can be imbued with context so that users can have an idea of why the data element is sensitive without disclosing the sensitive information itself. 

Alex autonomously monitors sensitive data via usage and permissions heatmaps and is consistently searching for data and systems that are at risk of exposure. Data owners are notified of high level risks that arise, so that remedial actions can be taken swiftly and effectively. 

Furthermore, Alex’s renowned Data Lineage and Impact Analysis capabilities reveals the entire lifecycle of any selected data. Any transformations the data has undergone is expressed through the automated mapping of data flow which is highly valuable in assessments of data quality. These processes, enabled by Alex, build the security protocols of your organization, as policies can be revised and enacted whilst actively preventing data losses.

In the wake of stringent compliance regulations, where organizations oftentimes fail is the responsible management of data whilst remaining efficient. Businesses also often turn to data security platforms and processes (atomised, not centralised). The Alex Enterprise Data Catalog that was conceived and designed to be a complete data management system with its own designated Data Security platform. Thus, in addition to unlocking hidden value from your data, your organization is provided with the assurance of Data Security that fully leverages that capabilities of AI to cover all your organization’s current and future data.