Once you have located all of your data, the automated application of persistent labels, tags, and visual markers helps both humans and computers determine its sensitivity and treat it consistently. Classification ensures that only appropriate parties can access sensitive data as it moves through the organization and supports information sharing with other data protection controls.

After Discovery and Classification are complete, each team can gain a better understanding of its data footprint. A full picture of your data inventory allows you to operationalize data, foster organizational productivity, conduct historical reviews and analysis, ensure competitiveness, and maintain data privacy.

To secure unprotected data, you need to control who can see it, when they can see it, and what they can do with it during any data lifecycle action – from creation to disposal. Control includes file shredding, redaction, quarantine, reduction of access rights, third-party controls, and role management at the job-role or server administration level.

Consumers can demand the right to know and the right to be forgotten. Contracts with vendors often require data privacy safeguards. Auditors and industry-specific regulators have their own rules about how consumer data is collected, stored, and used. With regulations on the rise, proactive protection is more critical than ever.