EDITOR ’ S QUESTION

RENAUD PERRIER , SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL , VIRTRU

The quality and security of that data is vital to a healthy business and the consequences of mismanaging it or failing to secure it can be costly .

Because data is often in motion and evolving , it can be challenging to know exactly where it is , who can access it and how to protect it as it moves inside and outside of your organisation . Data may be collected from sources inside and outside of the business , then shared across departments , downloaded , modified and shared again before its final destination for analysis . The ability to afford employees the flexibility to manage data in such a way is crucial to the rigour of a high-performing business – but even more pertinent is the ability to protect that data as it travels through those touchpoints .

Because mistakes happen , whether it ’ s a wellintentioned employee being duped by a phishing attempt or sending a sensitive file to David from your stationery supplier rather than David from finance , data can end up where it ’ s not supposed to and accessed by someone it ’ s not intended for . Not only does that break the collaborative flow , but it also creates significant risk of a data breach . Businesses need data-centric security strategies that apply protection to the data itself , everywhere it goes – giving them control and visibility at all times .

At the same time , it ’ s important that data controls don ’ t make collaboration difficult . Often , the tools put in place create barriers to collaboration – digging through emails to unlock password-protected documents , or logging into portals that require additional user credentials . If users have to navigate cumbersome processes that impact productivity , it puts the brakes on high performance and , more worryingly , they ’ re likely to find ways to circumvent those tools completely .

In a world where speed and collaboration are table stakes for innovation , businesses shouldn ’ t have to sacrifice productivity for security and control of their own information . Implementing data control tools that are easily accessible to the user and sit within their everyday applications and workflows is key to opening up secure collaborative data flows . The experience should be just as frictionless for the recipient . Solutions with a seamless user experience and application integrations should be prioritised when evaluating data protection vendors .

In a world where speed and collaboration are table stakes for innovation , businesses shouldn ’ t have to sacrifice productivity for security and control of their own information .

www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO EUROPE 39