Why Information Governance Needs to be a Priority for Every Organization

Failing to address information governance challenges exposes organizations to avoidable risks ranging from data breaches to non-compliance penalties. Information governance needs to be a priority for every organization because it reduces the instance of data breaches, facilitates decision making, protects organizations from litigation, and improves stakeholder perception. In this blog, we will explore the benefits of creating clear policies, efficient data management, robust security measures, and strategic cloud migration.  

Information Governance’s Essential Role in Organizations 

Managers in less regulated industries often make the mistake of assuming that strict information governance does not apply to them. Nearly all organizations possess some form of sensitive or valuable information. 

All organizations face information governance issues and should implement strategies to overcome them. Here are additional reasons IT governance should rank at the top of your strategizing list this year onward: 

Established Policies Mitigate Risks 

Establishing clear policies shows an organization's commitment to proactively mitigating risks and reducing information governance challenges. These policies serve as the roadmap for employees, dictating data management's dos and don'ts. Established procedures ensure consistency in practice. With established policies, companies can enforce stringent security measures, safeguarding their data against potential breaches. 

Well-established policies also educate an organization’s employees about their responsibilities towards data management, empowering them to exercise more vigilance. By being transparent with and committed to data security and regulatory compliance, an organization can foster transparency and trust with stakeholders. 

With policies in place, identifying and addressing non-compliant behavior promptly becomes easier. An established and effective legal preservation policy can also help an organization prove compliance in court. 

Efficient Data Management Reduces Storage Costs 

Data storage prices are on the rise. As companies continue to move to the cloud, new cloud service providers have moved into the space to offer solutions. The top contenders are Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

Storing unnecessary data provides a shaky foundation for data governance, especially as organizations modernize and adopt new tools. Organizations must keep only the data they need and purge what they don't. Familiarity with laws affecting payroll records, financial records, and personal data for consumers should be at the forefront of the plan to tackle information governance challenges. These concerns are compounded as Microsoft has begun to require licenses for any user that can be searched against in OneDrive, even if they are no longer with an organization. 

Organizations can use automation to periodically purge documents that have reached the end of their lifecycle. For example, companies should hold employment records for one year after the date of an involuntary termination. An organization must decide for itself if records should be kept for the minimum amount of time, or if they want their system to purge information after a longer period. 

Daily Data Backups Protect the Organization's Security Posture 

Companies may need to rely on backups to restore systems for several reasons. For example, employees may accidentally delete data, or an organization could suffer a ransomware attack. In 2023, a UK company allegedly faced a ransomware attack.  The hackers demanded a substantial ransom to be paid in cryptocurrency.  

 Despite their cybersecurity and accreditation, this 150-year-old logistics company was unable to recover and forced to close 3 months later. Other organizations can avoid results like this by including regular backups in their IT governance plans. 

 This incident underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures like the use of strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, robust backups, and the importance of cybersecurity training. Cybersecurity is an issue that goes beyond IT because robust security measures and protecting organizational information make a massive difference in protecting an organization’s future. 

Strong Security Postures Inspire Public Trust 

Microsoft is the undisputed market leader in workplace systems. However, Google has become a strong contender and its commitment to security has bolstered its image. For example, ChromeOS encrypts hard drives and completely wipes the system if you cannot remember the password. As of July 2024, ChromeOS also has no known ransomware incidents at the organization or the consumer level. 

In Google’s Hacking Google series, the tech giant explains how its recognition of information governance challenges led to it becoming a force against malicious threats, including hacks from government agencies. These experiences and Google’s commitment culminated in the creation of GCAT, which allows Google to lend its cybersecurity assistance to other organizations. 

Admittedly, Google is an extreme example. Few companies have the resources to bolster their security positions so significantly. Nevertheless, they show how a strong commitment to safety can boost an organization’s public image and consumer trust, even as an underdog in the operating system market. 

How Cloud Migration Services Affect Information Governance Challenges 

Migration to cloud services can significantly impact information governance. Organizations must review their roles in the shared responsibility model used for cloud protection and adjust accordingly. The cloud itself can offer protection through cloud-hosted SEIM, SOAR, and other security tools. Data migrations should always include a proof of concept (PoC) to ensure that the vendor will be able to meet their clients’ requirements. 

Companies should also consider the safety of their data and networks during mergers and acquisitions as well as the migration and legacy archive retirement process. Our teams follow the strictest security protocols to protect data and eliminate vulnerabilities during the cloud migration process. We also assist with data retention (including Slack) and expiration. By leveraging secure cloud services, like Expireon organizations can focus on their core operations and feel assured that their information governance challenges are under control. Choose Cloudficient today for a seamless and secure transition to the cloud.