MSPs have two jobs. They protect client data and keep them productive. An MSP’s data governance experience and expertise are crucial in today’s market. Talend’s definition of data governance is my favorite: “It establishes processes and responsibilities that assure the availability, quality and security of data used across a company or organization.”
Although data governance is complex, this definition captures the three pillars of data governance that MSPs need to be aware of. Because it is the reason we need data governance, I also added availability. MSPs are responsible for making the right information available to the correct people at the right times.
The right information must be the correct version of a presentation or document. There should not be many “stray” versions throughout the organization. We need to manage the permission structure and how content can be shared outside of the organization. The right time is also important as content has a limited lifespan. Some content should be available for a shorter time, while others should be kept for longer periods. Some content will remain forever.
To achieve results, you must apply rules and processes
The obvious efficiency gains of having the right information, or quality information, readily available are evident. It is important to have the right information at hand. Also, ensure that the content does not exist in multiple places within the organization. This is why a central repository is essential to ensure this order. This was possible with file servers that had a mapped drive letter on your desktop. However, in today’s work from anywhere environment, a lot more of this content has moved online. Many cloud-based file solutions don’t provide an organization-centric file structure that allows for the maintenance of order. Many times, they make it worse.
Sharing outside the organization is another problem that I call data-congruity. Emailing unstructured data, such as spreadsheets and documents, is the best way to share them. This creates a new version and location in a location that may not be as secure or as secure as the original repository. When someone sends an attachment, then makes changes. The recipient opens the attachment and is already working on old data. The sender must send another attachment, creating another version that is not under the control of the organization. This problem can be minimized by using links to the cloud-based document rather than attachments.
Data governance is often referred to as security. Securing data is the only way to ensure the data’s quality. Before we can determine if additional protection is necessary, we need to first understand what data needs to be protected and how valuable it is.
Not all data is created equal
While all data is valuable to an organization, its true value is dependent on the content. Although an employee schedule may not contain sensitive information, it could cause confusion and make it difficult to recreate. If exposed, patient information or customer credit card numbers could prove to be disastrous for the business and customers.
We need systems that can analyze content, organize it into file structures, monitor for changes and react to any side effects. It is crucial to constantly scan content in order classify it. It is crucial to know where sensitive information is located in the wrong folder structure. It is necessary to have a file structure that allows only certain individuals access to this type of data.
The system must also notify the appropriate admins when data is discovered in an unsuitable location, encrypted data, large amounts of data are being moved or exfiltrated. Bad actors are always looking for new ways of wreaking havoc on our data. This means that we must be able restore it in order to protect it. Sometimes employees make mistakes and delete or corrupt files. Versioning in your data repository is a good way to protect the security and quality data against such threats.
To properly manage data, there are many things to be aware of. Everything, from legislation to trade secrets, plays a role in how content is used and protected by companies. One of the most important jobs you are hired for is to secure your clients’ data. MSPs have two main jobs.
