Data Classification and Data Loss Prevention: Indispensable Building Blocks of Information Governance

In an effort to envision information governance as a modular and digestible concept, a great place to start is by imagining two building blocks. Not only will this approach make the task of thinking about holistic information governance less daunting, but it will carve out a beginning and an end with two basic concepts, thereby enabling a realistic and modular implementation.

Classification, Intelligent Archiving and Storage

The first block, and one of the single biggest cost savers an organization can embrace, is the proactive classification of data. Data classification begins with policy creation. Organizations that form a committee(s) to define policies and invest the energy into the enforcement of those policies almost always reap significant benefits from the initiative. The efficiencies are so compelling that it’s a wonder that data classification and archiving are ever considered separately. One major benefit includes the ability to intelligently leverage information since the classification places the data with similar material pursuant to the stated policy. Organizations that embrace archiving for storage footprint reduction, compliance, litigation, and retention will also see the value of preventing trash from entering the archive upfront.

The more useless data that can be disposed of at the initial point of classification, the more intelligently and nimbly the archive can run, thereby reducing costs when it comes time to collect and cull potentially non-relevant data for eDiscovery. At a minimum, policies should be created to prevent trash from entering the archive. Optimally, policies should contain key identifiers that direct information into specific folders within the archive.

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Source: eDiscovery 2.0

By: Allison Walton