Data proliferation is a persistent issue for IT and Security leaders. Further fueled by the shift to remote and hybrid work, the incredible volume of data is scattered across various locations, from multiple public cloud environments and data centers to remote offices and the edge, often with little global oversight. It’s no wonder that a new study from Dynatrace reports that 71% of CIOs say that the explosion of data
produced by cloud-native technology stacks is beyond human ability to manage. 

The massive amount of data correlates directly with spikes in breaches and amplifies the need for new data protection strategies and a resilient cybersecurity posture. 

It is essential to understand where it is located and what criticality level it carries. To ensure data is proactively, consistently, and accurately safeguarded, multifactor encryption must be paired with data discovery and classification.

Starting with Data Discovery and Classification

Data discovery involves identifying and locating sensitive or regulated data to protect or securely quarantine it. Data discovery is a priority for many enterprise security teams as it serves as the foundation of their data governance and risk management strategy.

Following the data discovery process, data classification labels are applied to the data according to its type, sensitivity, and value to an organization. It helps an organization understand its importance,  risk profile, and where to implement enhanced data protection controls. Data classification also helps organizations comply with relevant industry-specific regulatory mandates such as SOX, HIPAA, GDPR, ITAR, and more.

Pairing Multifactor Encryption with Data Discovery and Classification

While every successful security strategy starts with identifying and classifying the data accurately, data discovery and classification provide the necessary information to make more intelligent and conscious decisions about how data is used and handled. Unfortunately, the missing link and risk to the organization is the frictionless, decentralized approach to safeguarding that data once it has been located and prioritized.

Combining data discovery and classification alongside Distributed Key Management (DKM) through multifactor encryption provides a complete security solution to identify and protect unstructured data against insider threat and exfiltration. Through seamless integration with data discovery and classification tools, multifactor encryption allows organizations to encrypt files automatically according to policies defined by the data classification tools and data labels. This approach is the last mile of a comprehensive data discovery and protection strategy, ensuring data is secured proactively based on the level of sensitivity and subsequent protocols defined by the data security team. 

Organizations realize true data protection and unimpeded business performance by applying best-in-class data discovery and classification paired with multifactor encryption.  

For more information about how to seamlessly integrate data discovery and classification with multifactor encryption, contact Atakama today.