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To Protect Data, Start By Knowing Where It Lives

Experts agree on a variety of strategies that pay off for organizations seeking data protection and storage expansion.

SIGNAL Magazine Editor in Chief Robert K. Ackerman (l) discusses data protection with Jonathan Alboum, Veritas Technologies and Sherry Bennett, DLT Solutions.

Moving data to the cloud is on the horizon for many, but before making the move, organizations need to clean their data house. This includes determining who owns what data, what data they should delete and what data they should store elsewhere. A modernization process, such as moving to the cloud, necessitates that a company review data protection efforts as well as ensure its data strategy includes data governance.

As many as 90 percent of organizations currently have a strategic plan that involves the cloud, but to be successful, they need to have the right talent available, and that can be a challenge. They also must understand what data should go to the cloud versus what should stay on premise, says Sherry Bennett, chief data scientist, DLT Solutions.

Data governance is an important element of a data strategy, she adds. You must not only know what you have and how it is being used, but you also must decide if you want a cloud, hybrid or on-premise model for your data storage. A culture of data stewardship is important so an organization knows when data was last touched and where the appropriate place is for that data to be stored, she adds.

The move to the cloud has exacerbated the need for good data governance, explains Jonathan Alboum, chief technology officer U.S. Public Sector, Veritas Technologies LLC. And while the cloud provides some data protection, it is still ultimately the customer’s responsibility to protect its own data. “In reality, someone will get into the network, so limit the data that can be found,” he advises.

Bennett and Alboum, both experts in data protection, shared their knowledge and recommendations in an online SIGNAL Media event on modernizing data protection moderated by SIGNAL Editor in Chief Robert K. Ackerman. In addition to looking at the steps to take for data modernization and protection, the participants also discussed regulatory considerations such as the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the U.S. Open Government Data Act, as well as the challenges of finding talent and developing the best reporting structure for chief technology and information officers.

More observations and recommendations from Bennett and Alboum can be viewed online. Register here.