It’s become more critical than ever to clearly define user roles and separate data by classification types. It gets to be a tricky balance when your legal team doesn’t want to store excess data, but compliance requires it. How do you adapt to meet evolving audit guidelines, implement a cross-organization process to keep this data current, and serve each department’s unique needs?

Data classification sounds intense, evoking images of spy movies and FBI memoirs, but it really amounts to tagging data according to its type, sensitivity, and ramifications to your organization in the event it is altered, lost, stolen or destroyed. Appropriately classifying data can help you understand the value of the information you work with, determine whether the data is at risk, and implement controls to mitigate exposure for both your organization and your customers. Data classification also helps your organization comply with any relevant regulatory mandates for your industry.

Everyone benefits from a robust data classification strategy. Between your customers and your team members, you should prioritize the detailed classification of their data to prevent loss, data breaches or other disasters which can be catastrophic in more ways than one. It’s critical to learn the ins and outs of data classification so you can spend less time worrying about a leak, breach or other disaster and more time focusing on corporate goals.