Define data lifecycle management

Classification provides a framework for categorizing data according to its criticality and sensitivity. This enables organizations to determine the necessary protection measures, retention policies, and compliance requirements, ensuring data security and integrity throughout its lifecycle.

Best Practices

Implement a Comprehensive Data Classification Scheme

• Develop clear criteria for classifying data based on sensitivity, such as public, internal, confidential, and restricted. This helps ensure appropriate protection measures are applied to each category. Include stakeholders from various departments (e.g., legal, compliance, IT) in the development process to address all aspects of data accessibility and security.
• Regularly review and update your classification scheme to reflect changes in data sensitivity, legal regulations, or organizational needs. Keeping your classification current ensures ongoing compliance and protection.
• Train employees on data classification policies and procedures. Awareness of data sensitivity and classification is crucial for all staff to handle data correctly and securely.

Establish and Document Data Retention Policies

• Define retention periods for each data classification category based on legal and regulatory requirements as well as business needs. Establishing these policies helps manage data appropriately throughout its lifecycle.
• Document processes for data destruction and ensure they comply with legal standards and best practices. Secure destruction processes reduce the risk of data breaches and maintain company integrity.
• Implement automated systems for tracking data retention and destruction schedules. Automation can reduce human error and improve compliance with established policies.

Leverage Technology for Data Access Management

• Utilize role-based access controls (RBAC) to enforce data access permissions based on classification. This helps ensure that only authorized personnel have access to sensitive data, thus minimizing the risk of exposure.
• Implement logging and monitoring tools to track data access and modifications. Auditing access logs can help identify potential data security incidents and improve response strategies.
• Use encryption and secure data sharing techniques to protect sensitive data during transmission and storage. By implementing strong encryption protocols, you add an additional layer of security to your data lifecycle management.

Questions to ask your team

• Have you identified and classified all types of data based on sensitivity and criticality?
• What specific data lifecycle management policies do you have in place?
• How do you determine the retention duration for different data classifications?
• What processes are in place for the secure destruction of data once it reaches the end of its lifecycle?
• How is access to sensitive data managed and restricted within your organization?
• Do you have a monitoring system that provides insights into data access and handling?
• How do you ensure compliance with legal requirements related to data retention and management?
• What automated tools or dashboards do you use to support data lifecycle management?

Who should be doing this?

Data Compliance Officer

• Ensure that data classification adheres to legal and regulatory requirements.
• Develop and maintain policies for data classification and lifecycle management.
• Lead audits and compliance checks related to data sensitivity and retention.

Data Governance Manager

• Establish data governance frameworks for classification and lifecycle management.
• Coordinate with various departments to classify data based on sensitivity and criticality.
• Oversee the implementation of data lifecycle management strategies across the organization.

Security Engineer

• Design and implement security measures to protect classified data during its lifecycle.
• Conduct risk assessments related to data access and transformation processes.
• Ensure secure mechanisms are in place for data deletion and sharing.

IT Operations Manager

• Manage data storage solutions in alignment with the defined data lifecycle strategies.
• Monitor and report on data access and usage to ensure compliance with lifecycle management policies.
• Facilitate the use of dashboards and automated reporting for insights on data handling.

Data Analyst

• Analyze data classification and lifecycle management metrics to provide actionable insights.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to understand organizational needs and adjust strategies accordingly.
• Support the development of reporting tools to enhance visibility of data classifications.

What evidence shows this is happening in your organization?

• Data Classification Policy: A formal document outlining the classification of data within the organization, including categories based on sensitivity and criticality, and guidelines for data handling and protection based on classifications.
• Data Lifecycle Management Plan: A comprehensive plan detailing the lifecycle strategy for data including retention duration, destruction processes, and access management tailored to the sensitivity level and legal requirements.
• Retention Schedule Template: A template that provides guidelines for how long different categories of data should be retained, when to archive, and when to securely delete based on organizational and regulatory standards.
• Access Control Matrix: A matrix that maps data classification levels to access permissions, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive data based on their roles.
• Data Security Checklist: A checklist for ensuring that data protection mechanisms are in place, covering aspects such as encryption, access logging, and data sharing procedures.
• Data Protection Dashboard: An interactive dashboard that visualizes data classification, access logs, compliance with retention schedules, and alerts for any unauthorized data access attempts.

Cloud Services

AWS

• AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM): IAM allows you to manage access to AWS services and resources securely, ensuring only authorized users have access to sensitive data.
• AWS Key Management Service (KMS): KMS helps to create and control the encryption keys used to encrypt your data, supporting your data lifecycle management with strong security.
• Amazon S3 Object Lock: This service helps to store objects using a write-once-read-many (WORM) model, allowing for compliance with retention policies.
• AWS CloudTrail: CloudTrail enables governance, compliance, and operational and risk auditing of your AWS account, providing insights into data access.

Azure

• Azure Active Directory (AAD): AAD provides user identity and access management capabilities, helping to secure sensitive data by managing who can access it.
• Azure Information Protection: This service helps classify and protect data based on sensitivity, allowing you to apply the right controls as part of your data lifecycle.
• Azure Key Vault: Key Vault helps safeguard cryptographic keys and secrets used by cloud applications and services, essential for secure data management.
• Azure Monitor: Azure Monitor provides a comprehensive monitoring solution that helps you gain insights into your data access and usage.

Google Cloud Platform

• Cloud Identity: Cloud Identity allows you to manage users and access to services securely, ensuring that sensitive data is only accessible by authorized personnel.
• Google Cloud Data Loss Prevention (DLP): DLP helps identify and protect sensitive data across Google Cloud services, facilitating compliance and risk management effectively.
• Google Cloud Key Management: This service enables you to manage encryption keys for your cloud services, providing control over data protection throughout its lifecycle.
• Google Cloud Logging: Cloud Logging helps you manage audit logs and monitor access to your data, enhancing security and compliance tracking.

Question: How do you classify your data?
Pillar: Security (Code: SEC)