Is data classification that important? Yes? Really? Yes, really! Data classification is an essential component for organizations and is required by the GDPR and your information security standards framework. In this article, we will take you through the importance of data classification and how you do it! What is data?
Fortunately, data doesn't have many meanings. For example, data is a plural of date, but data is mainly used to talk about data. And that's what data is. Data means data (information). So, what exactly is data? Data is information that can be used to do something. For example, your e-mail address, your BSN number, your bank account number, and your telephone details. These are examples of data.
Classification
For an organization, it is valuable to have data. Without data, an organization has no reason to exist. For an organization to know what data is precisely present, it is essential to classify that data. By classifying, we mean naming or ordering the various data available in your organization. This way, you have a better overview of the data that is in your organization.
The importance of data classification
Actually, we already said it. Data classification gives you a better overview of the data in your organization. This way, you know what types of data there are, why they are processed and where the data is located. But above all how the availability, integrity and confidentiality of the data are guaranteed. As an organization, you want nothing more than for your valuable data to be protected and available to the right authorized persons. By applying data classification, you can determine which data needs which level of protection. You determine this by performing a risk analysis. This will give you an insight into what risks there are and how threats and possible consequences can be controlled. Based on this, you can secure your organization's valuable data and apply the right level of security. Besides, it is a requirement of the GDPR to have your data transparent, so do it right from the start!
How do you do that?
Many organizations today work with Microsoft 365. Microsoft's applications, such as Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Azure, are indispensable in business operations. Because these products are essential and contain a lot of data. Microsoft has developed the Microsoft Compliance Center. Any organization that uses Microsoft 365 has access to it.
Microsoft Compliance Center
As it is essential for Microsoft to correctly handle your data, they have developed the Microsoft Compliance Center. By properly implementing the Microsoft Compliance Center, your organization controls its information security and, therefore, your data. Within the Microsoft Compliance Center, they have also included the functionality of data classification and information management. Using these functionalities, it is possible to manually or with the correct license automatically attach labels to your data. It is also possible to define and apply specific security measures per label. If this is well set up, you as an organization are entirely in control of your data in your systems. You know what data there is, where it is and who is allowed to access it and when specific data will expire. After this, you protect not only your organization's devices but also its most valuable asset: data! Through this article, we hope to have demonstrated the importance of data classification and also given a handle on how to apply it. If something's not clear, or you can't get out? Then don't hesitate, and feel free to
contact us. We are happy to help you to get and stay in control.
