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Security best practices
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Key takeaways from the 2024 Gartner® Strategic Roadmap for World-Class Security of Unstructured Data
Unstructured data, such as documents, emails, and multimedia files, poses unique security challenges as its usage increases, especially with the rise of AI-driven tools. To help organizations build robust security strategies to protect this data effectively, Gartner has developed a roadmap for world-class security of this data. Click the link below to read the full report, or read on to see the main takeaways and recommendations!
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Key blockers for a successfully securing unstructured data
- Data oversharing and sprawl: The uncontrolled sharing of unstructured data across cloud infrastructure, SaaS, and legacy on-premise environments, compounded by AI tools like Microsoft Copilot, increases the risk of unauthorized access and data leakage.
- Fragmented security solutions: Unstructured data stored across different environments demands specialized tools, resulting in a fragmented security stack and inconsistent security controls.
- Inadequate data discovery: Many organizations struggle to identify and catalog their unstructured data, limiting visibility and creating gaps in their security posture.
- Outdated protection tools: Legacy tools such as traditional encryption solutions are becoming less effective, and many vendors are discontinuing their support, leaving organizations vulnerable.
Key Recommendations
- Implement Data Access Governance (DAG): Utilize DAG solutions to correct overly permissive access controls, especially for AI-driven workflows. This can immediately reduce the risk of unstructured data oversharing.
- Adopt Enterprise Digital Rights Management (EDRM): EDRM protects sensitive unstructured data through persistent encryption and granular access controls, even when data leaves the enterprise.
- Deploy Data Detection and Response (DDR): Enhance your organization’s security by implementing DDR to monitor unstructured data in real-time, detecting violations of acceptable-use policies, insider threats, and potential data breaches.
- Enable unified data discovery: Invest in tools that provide centralized, unified discovery and cataloging of unstructured data across environments. This visibility will enhance governance and security across different storage silos.
- Prepare for Hybrid Security: Use security solutions that cover both on-premise and cloud environments, ensuring that unstructured data is consistently protected no matter where it resides.
Organizations must confront the challenges of unstructured data security with a comprehensive and modern approach. By focusing on data governance, persistent encryption, real-time monitoring through DDR, and unified data discovery, companies can secure their unstructured data effectively. For a detailed guide to achieving world-class unstructured data security, explore Gartner’s full report on the 2024 Strategic Roadmap for Unstructured Data Security.
