Data is one of the most important entities for any business. Every organization associated with data in one form or other making it mandatory for them to keep it as safe and secure as possible. No organization ever want to discover that their crucial business data accidentally lost. Still, Gartner predictions convey that “Worldwide Security Spending Will Reach $ 96 Billion in 2018, Up 8 Percent from 2017.”
But how can such a vital entity of business be lost?
There's no doubt that organizations spend a huge part of their earnings on data security practices and still have to deal with lots of threats and data breaches. The main reason behind is the lack of strict security policies and rules within the organizations itself. Loopholes in internal security give employees various chances to conduct data breaches, intentionally or unintentionally.
We usually like to shuffle our devices including laptops, tablets, desktops and smartphones without actually tracing the amount of data is could have. Within each device rests a trove of dark data, the data which is unmanaged and untacked by an organization. It is evident that no staff stays with a company forever. Staff come and go. And, so is the data that stored in their devices.
Organizations in which employees have the freedom to access business data using their personal devices normally face this issue. Also, when the data is left written on notebooks or any other devices, without the prior knowledge of organization, it is hard to backup it up. Here are some tips organizations can follow to prevent important business data from getting away.
1. Add Encryption Everywhere For User Devices
Organizations should mandate encryption on all user devices. Almost every modern operating systems allow users to turn on encryption and it is no longer a red flag to performance. Most of the cloud hosting providers also protect their business sensitive information by practicing end-to-end encryption. This help businesses to track 'who is accessing their data?', 'For how long and at what time user accessed a file?' etc.
2. Use Tools that Detect Problems and Enforce Rules
It is important to detect excessive local storage in a regular manner to avoid data risks. Organizations should prioritize the use of domain-joined PCs for employees and secure systems via homegrown login scripts. Majority of businesses use third-party tools to secure their corporate network. But, most of the times differentiating between a pile of corporate data and a pile of personal data is impossible and leads to complex data structure.
3. Train Teams and Spread Awareness on Dark Data Risks
Organizations can reduce the risk of data loss by making employees understand the red flags of storing data locally. Employee awareness helps a lot. Making them well-aware of its benefits and tricks. Building an efficient infrastructure to minimize dark data is one option. But it will not end the issue as the root cause of dark data is unmanaged data storage. Therefore, it is vital for organizations to make strict policies and conduct proper training to make employees understand.
4. Discourage Local Storage and Encourage Cloud Storage
It is well-known that storing data on local systems is a big risk. Taking backups on local systems is a waste of time. Data stored over the cloud platform is more secure from Ransomware than the data present on local systems. For organizations, regular data wiping is tough and consumes lots of time. One smart alternative for this is utilizing cloud platforms to store data as cloud automatically backup your data and secure it from any kind of damage.
Most of the organizations are unaware of the loss happened to them due to the so-called dark data. However, every organization can manage their data storage by teaming up with employees. Ask your employees do not depend on local copies as old-school tricks are not that much flexible. On the other hand, newer technologies such as hosted cloud technology offer them ways to share and store documents.
Final Words
Eventually, it's in employees and organizational leaders hands to decide how long they want to go – smart decision-making, security policies and good management is what keep businesses away from dark data.
