Data Classification

Challenge

Data classification is common in government organizations where the need to protect classified data is critical to national security. Although today the need for data classification extends to the protection of personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), and other sensitive information assets, data classification hasn't been widely adopted by non-governmental organizations. Unless data is classified so that different levels of control can be applied to different types of data, all data could be treated as if it were highly confidential, securing it to such a degree that people are prevented from doing their jobs efficiently. Conversely, if virtually no controls are applied, proprietary and regulated data are vulnerable to compromise or misuse.

A data classification framework is a mechanism that enables you to optimize the level of security effort, maintaining the maximum possible flexibility while ensuring a proportionate level of control for sensitive data. But how do you choose the right framework? How do you determine which data classification best practices are most appropriate to implement in your orgranization?

Solution

Secure Application's Data Classification offering is based on a proven methodology that enables your organization to better understand what data taxonomies are in place. Mapping data owners, custodians, and end users based on the data's level of sensitivity and value lets you know the level of risk and the impact to your organization should that data be disclosed, altered or destroyed without authorization. Our service, performed by experienced and credentialed professionals, assesses your data flow and determines what baseline security controls are appropriate for safeguarding that data.

Benefits

• Reduces the risk of regulatory noncompliance
• Minimizes the likelihood of theft or misuse of data and the associated cost of a data breach
• Provides documented evidence that your information assets are secure
• Identifies security issues before cyber criminals can take advantage of them
• Ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your information assets
• Increases user confidence that sensitive, business-critical data is protected

Secure Application's Data Classification offering and our cafeteria-style menu provide the flexibility you need to customize our services to meet your security and budget requirements. Our services include:

• Helping organizations develop an understanding of what data classification is and how it can affect their business
• Establishing project scope and expectations
• Identifying, analyzing, and taking inventory of an organization's primary business processes
• Determining data values
• Identifying potential data taxonomies
• Identifying owners, users, and data associated with key business processes and applications
• Developing a data classification framework that maps to an organization's specific requirements and appropriately groups and assigns values to data