In a recent interview, Pulse 2.0 had the pleasure of conversing with Michael Jack, the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and Co-Founder of Datadobi, a trailblazing company offering vendor-neutral unstructured data management and movement solutions. And the focus of the discussion revolved around the escalating issue of illegal data within business environments, a subject of tremendous importance and relevance in today’s data-driven world.
As the volume of unstructured data continues to surge at an exponential rate, Gartner’s estimation of it accounting for a staggering 80 to 90% of all new enterprise data underscores the magnitude of the challenge faced by businesses. With this rapid growth, the infiltration of illegal data presents a major threat to organizations, affecting various facets of their operations.
Pulse 2.0: What is illegal data, and why is it a significant threat to businesses today?
Michael Jack: Illegal data covers a broad spectrum of content or files that violate laws, regulations, and company policies. This includes pirated software, unlawfully obtained confidential information, content promoting illegal activities, and materials that are irrelevant or unacceptable on the corporate network, like holiday videos.
The proliferation of illegal data poses a substantial threat to businesses, as it can result in serious repercussions across different facets of their operations, such as legal challenges, damage to reputation, compliance issues, security risks, and disruptions in daily functioning.
Pulse 2.0: How does illegal data penetrate corporate networks, and are there unintentional ways it can enter the business environment?
Michael Jack: The explosive growth of unstructured data globally has provided fertile ground for the simultaneous increase in illegal data. With the emergence of digital technologies, businesses accumulate vast volumes of information originating from diverse sources such as emails, documents, images, videos, and social media interactions. As unstructured data continues to proliferate, the potential for illegal content to infiltrate organizational systems grows exponentially, posing a pressing concern that demands immediate attention.
It’s important to note that not all instances of illegal data within business systems result from intentional wrongdoing. With the increasing intermingling of personal and professional devices, there is a higher likelihood of inadvertent entry of illegal data into organizational systems. For example, an employee may unknowingly download a copyrighted movie on their personal device and inadvertently transfer it to their work device or cloud storage, thereby introducing illegal data into the business environment.
Additionally, orphaned data and dark data carry the risk of potentially containing illegal data as well. Orphaned data refers to data that has no clear owner within an organization, while dark data is data that is not actively used. These types of data can accumulate over time, making it challenging to determine their contents and legality.
Pulse 2.0: What are the ramifications of illegal data on a corporate network, and what risks does it pose?
Michael Jack: Having illegal data on a corporate network can lead to severe consequences for organizations across various aspects of their operations.
From a legal standpoint, possessing or distributing illegal data exposes businesses to potential legal hardships, with authorities, regulatory bodies, or copyright holders initiating legal actions, leading to financial penalties, fines, or even criminal charges.
Reputational damage is another significant concern, as the presence of illegal data tarnishes the organization’s image and erodes trust among stakeholders, including clients, partners, and the general public.
Negative publicity, loss of credibility, and public backlash can result in a diminished customer base, hindered business opportunities, and long-term harm to the organization’s growth prospects.
Compliance issues also arise when illegal data infiltrates corporate networks. Organizations must adhere to various laws and regulations regarding data protection, intellectual property, and content distribution. The presence of illegal data signifies a failure to meet compliance standards, attracting regulatory scrutiny, potential penalties, and further legal risks.
The presence of illegal data on a corporate network increases the vulnerability to security breaches and compromises. Such data may contain malicious files, malware, or ransomware that can infiltrate the network and compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive business information.
Security breaches can lead to data theft, financial losses, operational disruptions, and the erosion of customer trust.
Operational disruptions are also a consequence of dealing with illegal data. The discovery, investigation, and removal of illegal content necessitate significant resources, time, and manpower. These processes can disrupt normal business operations, impacting productivity, business continuity, and overall efficiency.
Individual employees responsible for introducing or distributing illegal data may face disciplinary actions, including termination of employment. Moreover, the presence of illegal data within the corporate network can create a hostile work environment and negatively impact employee morale.
Lastly, organizations with illegal data may face challenges in collaborating with partners, suppliers, or industry associations. Entities that prioritize compliance may hesitate to engage in business relationships with non-compliant organizations, hindering potential partnerships and collaborations.
Pulse 2.0: How can organizations mitigate the risks associated with illegal data, and what steps should they take?
Michael Jack: To mitigate the risks associated with illegal data, organizations need to implement data governance policies and procedures to ensure that all data is properly documented, stored and maintained. This involves conducting regular data audits, assigning clear ownership and responsibility for data, and establishing guidelines for data creation and storage.
One way to assist in this effort is through the use of solutions like StorageMAP. StorageMAP can play a crucial role in assisting organizations with mitigating the risk of illegal data by providing comprehensive metadata analytics and search capabilities. It allows users to gain insights into their unstructured data across on-premises and cloud environments, effectively discovering and understanding their data, including identifying potential instances of illegal content.
StorageMAP enables enterprises to organize their data, ensuring that data is properly managed and controlled. It also helps organizations put data in the right place at the right time, facilitating fast, accurate, and non-disruptive data movement to optimize data placement and reduce the chances of illegal data being stored or accessed inappropriately.
Bottom line: organizations must take decisive action to safeguard their business from the increasing prevalence of illegal data. Implementing effective data governance and utilizing solutions like StorageMAP can empower organizations to take proactive steps to defend against the wrath of illegal data.
Conclusion: The interview with Michael Jack serves as an urgent call to action for businesses to address the pressing issue of illegal data. And by implementing effective data governance strategies and harnessing the right innovative solutions for unstructured data management, organizations can overcome the challenges it poses while more effectively achieving their business, IT, and cost management objectives.
