Learn how Fortra's Data Classification Suite can facilitate compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOX, and other prominent data privacy regulations.

Learn what data governance means and why data classification is a crucial part of its success.

In the last few years, there has been a dramatic shift from data classification being a “nice to have” tool, to becoming a necessity. Behind this momentum, private companies and organizations are implementing data classification using “traditional” taxonomies and schemas that work for governments and militaries but don’t necessarily translate well into the workflow or culture of commercial...

What Is Data Classification And What Can It Do For My Business? Data classification is an approach to identifying, protecting and managing information which has rapidly become best practice. Implemented as part of a layered security strategy, it enables an enterprise to defend itself against a variety of threats - from aggressive outsiders to untrained or well-meaning insiders - while unlocking...

The 5 Steps to Effective Data Classification: Identify your sensitive and high value data Discover the location and accessibility of your sensitive data Classify data according to its value to the organization Secure : employee security control and protection measures Monitor : measure and evolve security practices Using data classification as part of a strategy to secure corporate data assets is...

Why should the financial services sector adopt a data classification strategy? Because more than nine out of ten (95%) of data breaches are financially motivated, according to this year’s Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report . Within the finance and insurance sector specifically, the rates were as high as 97% — no surprise there. However, what may be surprising is that most of these attacks...

When it comes to data privacy , financial services is one of the most highly regulated industries, and as a result, finance organizations face immense pressure to protect the data they are creating, collecting, and storing. Let’s take a deeper dive into what pressures are put on financial organizations to protect their data, and what they can do to ensure their sensitive data stays secure and...

Editor’s Note: This blog post was co-authored by Clayton Barnard, Senior Director, Global Alliances at Lookout, and Corey Markell, Associate Director, Strategic Resource Group at Fortra. The first steps for any organization in creating a data security strategy are accurately identifying all of their sensitive information and securing that data from unauthorized access, regardless of where it...

To implement or not to implement? That is the question when evaluating a new technology solution for your organization. Complicating the often daunting decision are the preconceived notions held at various organizational levels as to whether the solution is necessary, or more trouble than it’s worth. This can become especially problematic when misinformed thinking is the reason an organization...

Trust is one of the most important aspects of business, especially when it comes to the collection and use of people’s personal data. As consumers advocate for organizations to take more precautions in handling their personal data, legislative bodies are listening, and more data privacy regulations are being passed globally each year. Being proactive in complying with, or better yet, staying ahead...

When you see or hear the term “data breach” in the media, is the first thought that there must have been a hacker involved? It may surprise you to know that hackers aren’t the main cause of data loss and data breaches within organizations. Most can be attributed to insider threats, mainly by employees just trying to do their job who make a negligent error, such as sending an email to the wrong...

The GDPR in Europe was one of the first major data privacy regulations to be implemented in recent times, followed closely by the CCPA in the United States. And since its enforcement, GDPR has been seen as the “gold standard” when it comes to data protection regulations. However, it is important to remember that each data privacy regulation has differences in areas such as what and who is...

Hardly a day goes by without a media report about a data breach that involves exposed personally identifiable information (PII). In the same way an organization takes care of its employees, customers, and finances, it also needs to ensure its sensitive data, such as PII, is well protected. Let’s explore what constitutes as PII, the consequences of it being exposed, and what organizations can do to...

Cloud-based work environments are both convenient and cost-effective, especially in today’s remote world, but can present a challenge when it comes to meeting both regulatory compliance requirements and ensuring the protection of sensitive data. In order to maintain the protection of sensitive data when moving to and from the cloud , a consistent data-centric protection approach is critical. Let’s...

At first glance, it appears that data classification and Zero Trust , a cybersecurity framework, would have nothing to do with one another. After all, each has its own separate specialized function – data classification labels data based on sensitivity, and Zero Trust is meant to keep unauthorized users from gaining access to company systems and data. However, much like our environmental ecosystem...

Data privacy regulations have really come into play over the last four years. Consumers are becoming more concerned about the disclosure and use of their data and trust is playing a key role. According to a survey conducted by Salesforce , 48% of consumers said they had lost trust in brands during the pandemic due to misuse of personal information. As the world becomes more technology driven and...

It’s no surprise to anyone that the amount of data that exists is rapidly growing. A report by IDC predicts that by 2025, the global datasphere will have grown to 175 zettabyes. To put in perspective how much data this truly is, one zettabyte is equal to one trillion gigabytes – that is an astronomical amount of data. Needless to say, humans are not equipped to manually keep up with ensuring this...

The primary reason most organizations look at classifying the data they create and handle is to control access to sensitive information, driven by the need to manage security risk, and comply with data protection regulations such as GDPR , CCPA , ITAR , and more. All organizations have to comply with the rules of their industry bodies, as well as the nation states they operate in. Achieving...

The data protection landscape and its associated compliance environment changed fundamentally with the implementation of the European-wide GDPR in May 2018, with many other privacy regulations following suit around the globe. It is no longer about what organizations think they need to be doing in order to control their data, but that they are being told what they need to do by regulators such as...