assessment

Data Tagging & Inventory

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Use this assessment to evaluate your current tagging process. Check each statement in the readiness column that applies.

Total points

(1 point per check)

Phase One: Review Enforcement Points

Goal

Our data labels and data value tags are easily consumed by internal security checkpoints like data loss prevention gateways or information rights management for actionable intelligence.

Readiness

I have an inventory of all internal security checkpoints.
I worked cross-functionally to create this part of the plan.

Phase Two: Regulatory Requirements

Goal

Data tags are compatible with and support external requirements such as GDPR or CCPA.

Readiness

I am well-versed in regulatory requirements that relate to my organization's data (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).
Our data tags are germane to the specific legislation our organization is subject to.

Phase Three: Data States

Goal

Data tags apply to data in various states: at rest, in transit, and in use.

Readiness

I have a full accounting of how data flows through our organization: at rest, in transit, and in use.
Our data tags apply to data in all three states (at rest, in transit, in use).
Using tags, I can locate data in any of the three aforementioned states.

Phase Four: Tag Definitions

Goal

Data tags are canonical, unambiguous, and machine-readable.

Readiness

Data tags are consistent across the organization.
Tag definitions can be used individually OR as a group, represented as comma separated values (e.g., for an entire dataset or API).

Scoring

1-3 You've got work to do

Whether you're considering tagging data for the first time, or your organization's tagging & inventory practices are immature, now is the time to mobilize.

Engage with cross-functional stakeholders to review this assessment and determine next steps.

4-6 You're on the way

You have taken some important steps toward understanding, and building, a sound data tagging and inventory process.

Meet with your cross-functional team and ask: What are we missing? Which internal and/or external stakeholders do we need to consult to improve our tagging strategy?

7-9 You're in a good position

You and your organization have taken important steps to understand the state of your data tagging and inventory program. You have a solid foundation.

Meet with your cross-functional team to evaluate any readiness points you didn't achieve. Are you in the best position to operationalize your tagging strategy?

This assessment is a temperature check, not a decisive evaluation of your program. It should offer you a starting point as you evaluate data governance at your organization.

Next Steps

Use this assessment to ensure your organization is in a good position to operationalize your tagging structure. Review the checklist for any readiness statements that you haven't currently achieved, and make a plan to address them.

For more on this topic, take the Course:

1 Course

Data Categorization

This course will enable you to build your data inventory by constructing machine-readable tags that align with your data classification, protect your data at scale, and build a system architecture workflow to apply tags and inventory data. Finally, you will learn how to measure the effectiveness of your data inventory.

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