The growing frequency of ransomware attacks has transformed what was once an IT issue into a critical boardroom topic for enterprises worldwide.
As data production surges at an unprecedented rate each year, managing this vast amount of information has become increasingly difficult. The rapid adoption of cloud solutions from numerous providers, each offering unique infrastructure, has only added to this complexity. With a combination of on-premises systems and edge computing environments, businesses now face a significant challenge—data fragmentation.
The Convergence of Data Management, Security, and Analytics
There has long been debate over whether security should be viewed as an integral part of data management or as a secondary function linked to backup and recovery. In reality, security is a fundamental component of data management. Companies often begin with data backup, but as they evolve, they secure the data and unlock its potential for broader applications. Simply focusing on security addresses data protection, but today’s organizations must look beyond that. This need has driven the rapid growth of data management as a key business function.
The iceberg analogy serves as a useful illustration when comparing comprehensive data management with traditional security and backup strategies. While many businesses focus on managing, securing, and analyzing the visible "tip" of the iceberg—active data—a large volume of archived or cold data lies beneath the surface, often overlooked. Effectively managing this hidden data can open up new opportunities for enterprises.
The Evolution to Supercloud
As enterprise IT continues to evolve, whether through hybrid multi-cloud solutions, advanced data management strategies, or the emerging concept of Supercloud, companies must adapt to the increasing complexity of their environments. Supercloud, in particular, is designed to simplify this complexity by providing a unified management experience across multiple platforms.
To succeed in this digital age, enterprises need to ensure consistency across diverse cloud environments, with a strong focus on efficient data management, seamless migration, and robust analytics at scale.
Four Key Strategies to Address Data Fragmentation
Cloud applications have delivered tremendous value to businesses, especially with the rise of remote work. However, this shift has also led to the challenge of managing vast amounts of fragmented data. Here are four steps organizations can take to regain control:
1. Improve Data Governance
Begin by thoroughly identifying and classifying your data, particularly focusing on sensitive data like financial records and client information. It’s vital to understand who owns the data and where it is stored, ensuring that data governance policies are thorough and comprehensive. Equally important is the consistent enforcement of these policies.
2. Cultivate a Culture of Data Security and Integrity
Employee interactions within digital workplace tools generate valuable corporate knowledge. However, many of these collaboration tools are so easy to use that employees may forget the professional setting. It’s crucial to train staff on best practices for secure data sharing, storage, and retention, including guidelines on which information should be recorded and protected.
3. Automate to Boost Efficiency
Manually managing unstructured data increases the potential for human error and is time-consuming. Leveraging machine learning and automation can streamline processes like data classification, retention, and archiving, resulting in fewer mistakes and increased efficiency.
4. Break Down Data Silos for Better Accessibility
To eliminate data silos, organizations should implement systems that can integrate diverse data sources. By consolidating information from various applications into a centralized repository, employees can efficiently search across multiple datasets at once, saving time and improving overall accessibility.
As some companies continue to hesitate in fully embracing digital technologies, the volume of cloud-based data will keep expanding. Along with this growth comes greater complexity in managing and accessing essential information, which can threaten the valuable insights businesses depend on. Instead of viewing data fragmentation as a problem, organizations should embrace it as an opportunity to innovate and create transformative improvements in their data management practices.
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