All organisations can take a leaf out of the Government’s book and use data classification to safeguard information, says Colin Tankard, MD of Digital Pathways.

All organisations handle sensitive and confidential information, providing them with a competitive advantage. The need to secure that information is more pressing than ever, given the growing sophistication of criminals for whom such data is a goldmine and increasingly prescriptive mandates demanding high levels of information protection.

Governments have long demanded that the information held by their agencies be adequately protected and many have laws in place that restrict access to only those individuals with proper authorisation. In some countries, such as the US, data is classified into three levels – top secret, secret and confidential – along with a fourth category, “for official use only.” In the UK, the classification system, known as the “protective marking” system, has long been divided into six classifications.

Tankard goes on to say ‘Information is a premium for any organization and keeping sensitive information secure and adequately protected is a must. Wise organisations will implement a strategy of using protective marking now to reduce the risk that they will become the next data breach headline.’ Read the full article here