BigID recently released a research paper that examines the current problems that businesses face in safeguarding their most critical information.
A number of important findings emerged from the research:
- Dark data is extremely concerning to 84 per cent of businesses. This is data that businesses aren't aware of, but which accounts for more than half of all data in existence and can be extremely sensitive or vital.
- Unstructured data is the most difficult to manage and safeguard for eight out of ten businesses. Unstructured data generally comprises a variety of sensitive information and is challenging to scan and identify due to its inherent complexity.
- More than 90% of businesses have trouble implementing security standards involving sensitive or important data. Data policy reach and enforcement are crucial for proper data asset management, remediation, and security.
Data is an organization's most valuable asset, relying on it every day to make critical strategic and operational choices. Unfortunately, most of this data is highly sensitive or critical, and it can be exposed accidentally or maliciously in some instances.
Dimitri Sirota, CEO of BigID stated, “Data is the fuel that drives a company forward. However, a lot of this data is personal and as it accumulates, so does cyber risk. You owe it to your customers, partners, and employees to keep this data safe, let alone to keep your business running. This report reinforces the fact that most continue to struggle to confidently protect their most valuable data.”
Sensitive or essential data is being spread throughout the environment at unprecedented rates, thanks to the rapid rise of public, private, hybrid, and multi-cloud models. As the scope of this type of data grows, so does the risk to the organisation.
The research looks into the most significant security issues, the core causes of these problems, and practical ways to improve data security so that teams can protect their most valuable data assets.
