The dangers of dark data: How to manage it and mitigate the risks

Image: Shutterstock/sdecoret

One mode to look astatine acheronian (or invisible) information is to deliberation astir each of the on- and off-premises insubstantial files, closet- and shelf-based files, and immoderate different benignant of accusation that hasn't been digitized, and that employees can't readily access. Despite caller organizational efforts astatine digitization, determination is inactive an abundance of this hidden information floating around.

There is besides a broader, simpler explanation of acheronian data: immoderate information that you bash not person acceptable visibility of. This tin see physics accusation that you mightiness not beryllium alert of, specified arsenic instant messages and video telephone transcripts, oregon immoderate different contented that has not been centralized successful a searchable information repository.

"Dark information is information that is not nether management, oregon connected a firm assets wherever it tin beryllium discovered," said Brian Remmington, CTO astatine Hyland, which provides endeavor contented absorption solutions. "Once discovered, acheronian information is nary longer acheronian data." 

SEE: Navigating information privateness (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

During the COVID pandemic, galore organizations person been moving successful highly distributed and distant environments. This has boosted acheronian information growth.

"Employees besides usage company-appointed laptops for everything from video calls to sharing documents and accessing email," Remmington said. "This creates an excessive magnitude of acheronian information that looms successful institution storage. In addition, employees whitethorn transcript centralized contented to their section laptops and not upload it aft altering it."

Remmington believes that the occupation with the increasing magnitude of acheronian information volition ever beryllium managing it and making definite it's revisited and leveraged appropriately for concern quality and governance purposes. Additionally, erstwhile employees permission the business, enterprises hazard a nonaccomplishment of intelligence spot oregon firm representation by missing acheronian data.

How superior is the hazard of not managing acheronian data?

First, not having your acheronian information nether absorption tin make legal, information and compliance risks. What if your institution is successful a suit and indispensable get to this information arsenic portion of the ineligible find process?

Second, not having entree to acheronian information tin pb cardinal determination makers into making the incorrect decisions for the organization.

Third, important discarded tin result. This discarded comes successful the signifier of mislaid worker productivity due to the fact that it volition instrumentality them longer to hunt for and get the accusation they need. Storage costs besides increase, due to the fact that storing information without utilizing it is wasteful.

Fourth, the acheronian information occupation contributes to endeavor information silos. "The fig 1 nonsubjective needs to beryllium discovering acheronian information truthful that it tin beryllium classified and managed appropriately, and perchance analyzed for concern intelligence," Remmington said. "One of the cardinal things to analyse is however each silo of acheronian information came to beryllium that way, and to place processes and tooling that tin assistance forestall it from happening successful the future."

One proactive attack that companies tin usage to trim acheronian information is to make information safekeeping policies for employees and bid and retrain employees connected these policies.

SEE: Electronic information retention policy (TechRepublic Premium)

Audits tin besides beryllium conducted to guarantee that information (and information changes) are synchronized betwixt idiosyncratic enactment stations and cardinal information repositories.

Both of these steps tin assistance to destruct the "dark holes" successful endeavor accusation that acheronian information creates.

"It's going to beryllium a portion earlier acheronian information disappears," Remmington acknowledged. "But successful the meantime, organizations should bash their champion to tackle their information being created successful existent clip arsenic they enactment done backlogs of data. In the agelong run, this volition assistance businesses scope their goals."

See also

• Document retention policy (TechRepublic Premium)
• Snowflake information warehouse platform: A cheat expanse (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
• 5 information categories to larn for faster cybersecurity responses (TechRepublic)
• 6 ways to see acheronian information successful analytic strategies (TechRepublc)
• When close information produces mendacious information (TechRepublic)
• CXO: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic connected Flipboard)