Common Information Governance Challenges

As organizations navigate the digital landscape, several common IT governance problems emerge that can directly impact operations. Understanding and avoiding these pitfalls is the crucial first step toward managing archives effectively and maintaining the integrity and security of critical data. 

Lack of Resources 

A lack of resources, both human and technological, often poses significant challenges to organizational information governance. Insufficient staff expertise or a poorly equipped IT infrastructure causes businesses to struggle with managing and securing their data effectively.  Resource deficiency can lead to a list of unaddressed issues within an environment that continues to grow until it spirals out of control. 

These information governance challenges can lead to significant operational disruptions and regulatory penalties if they are not addressed quickly. Therefore, efficient and secure information governance requires appropriate investment to ensure IT teams have the time, resources, and training to be effective. 

Difficulty With Data Classification 

Data classification is the process of moving data into categories for efficient use and secure protection. The rapid expansion of data volumes and the varied nature of data types make it difficult to identify, categorize, and handle data. This can lead to mismanagement, misuse, or even loss of vital business information. 

The implications of improperly classified data can be far-reaching, including significant financial penalties, reputational damage, and potential legal action. An effective data classification system, like Expireon, is a cornerstone of strong information governance, so companies should address this challenge as quickly as possible. 

Legacy Systems 

Legacy systems refer to any outdated software, hardware, or technologies that a business still uses. These systems often pose a significant information governance challenge because they are no longer supported or updated by their vendors. These systems are typically incompatible with newer technologies, limiting efficient integration with modern unified data management tools.

Additionally, these systems often lack the robust security features of their modern counterparts and no longer get security patches or updates. These information governance challenges expose the organization to an increased risk of data breaches. 

Legacy systems can become the proverbial Achilles' heel in the IT infrastructure. In an era where data breaches can result in substantial financial penalties and reputational damage, modernizing these systems and software is crucial in mitigating information governance issues. 

Regulatory Compliance 

As governments worldwide strengthen their controls on data usage, data privacy regulations are constantly changing. This makes it increasingly challenging for organizations to adhere to local and international rules when dealing with customer data and other sensitive information. 

Companies must heed all laws applicable to handling and storing personal data, and pay special care to jurisdictions with specific requirements. Non-compliance with relevant standards and regulations can lead to potentially severe financial penalties. Here are some of the most important regulations: 

• GDPR
• HIPAA
• CCPA

Compliance requirements mean enterprises must stay informed about the latest developments in data privacy regulations. Doing this requires organizational  information governance practices to be consistently updated in order to maintain compliance. 

Managing Unstructured Data 

Unstructured data refers to information that is not organized or easily searchable, this includes emails, videos, recordings, and some scanned documents. When data does not have a pre-defined structure or schema, even advanced searches become difficult and time consuming. 

As organizations continue to move towards digital solutions for data management and stakeholder communication, the volume of unstructured data in their tenants has skyrocketed. This creates significant information governance challenges. 

The sheer volume and diversity of unstructured data makes it challenging to identify, control, and manage. Together these increase the risk of security issues and non-compliance with regulations.  

If your organization hasn’t implemented an effective email archiving solution, it is time to! Take a look at our blog on the importance of email archiving or contact us to get the process rolling. 

The Critical Role of Information Governance in Organizations 

Managers often make the mistake of believing strict information governance is only beneficial for highly regulated industries. While healthcare facilities, law firms, financial institutions, and government agencies face the biggest risks, IT governance challenges, and attractiveness to hackers due to their treasure troves of data. However, virtually all organizations have valuable data they would rather not become public knowledge, especially if they accept online payments or store sensitive data. 

All organizations should implement strategies before they face information governance issues. 

Cloudficient is addressing the challenges organizations have with their data, and we are changing the way they interact with it. We can help retire legacy systems like PSTs and Enterprise Vault and help you onboard to Microsoft 365. Expireon clients can store all of their data in a single repository where it can be indexed on demand, searched easily, and is compliant with industry-specific regulations. It was designed to change how organizations look at and pursue Foundational eDiscovery.