THAT’S
oday’s business environment is in- undated with data. Sifting through mounds of paper or endless streams of electronic files is just the be- ginning — companies need to know what data to keep and how long it needs to be maintained, which makes data classifica- tion of paramount importance. In simple terms, data classification is defined as the categorization of data for its most effective and efficient use. Data can be classified according to any criteria. For example, it can be broken down ac- cording to topical content, file type, oper- ating platform, average file size, when it was created, when it was last accessed or modified, which person or department last accessed or modified it, and which per- sonnel or departments use it the most. That’s all well and good, but how does a company develop an effective data clas-
CLASSIFIED! T
By Bryan Soroka RECORDS MANAGEMENT HAS BECOME A PART OF EVERY BUSINESS, WHICH IS WHY ESTABLISHING A DATA
CLASSIFICATION PROCESS WILL GO A LONG WAY IN ENSURING THE RIGHT INFORMATION IS KEPT AND STORED ACCORDING TO THE LAW AND IN THE SECUREST FASHION POSSIBLE
sification process to help ensure the busi- ness runs as smoothly as possible? “This is a multi-part process. Each client needs to provide business process maps, either as flowcharts or swim lane diagrams that include the identification of documents, records and information,” advises Steve Neilly of Information Inno- vation Inc. “The maps should demon- strate collection, use and distribution as well as links to other processes and inter- connectivity of data sources.” For Sandie Bradley, president of Har- wood Information Associates, data is like money. “Information is wealth,” she says. “ That information can be more valuable
18 SECURITY MATTERS • JULY/AUGUST 2010
than the real estate [a business] occu- pies or the products it sells.”
When establishing a data classification, Bradley begins by visiting each depart- ment within a business to discover what data they have. This helps develop, in her words, a universal information map. “Once we get the map then we can do an evaluation,” she says, adding this is crucial because without this map, a policy cannot be written in order to define a clear direction for the overall business. “Without it, it’s left up to individuals and nobody re- ally knows the right answer.” Sue Trembley, director of consulting services for Iron Mountain, deploys a
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