Data remediation is key to information governance. But, as Frederic Bourget of IPRO discusses, it’s also the “less sexy side of cybersecurity”.

Frederic’s article on Legaltech^® News (Data Remediation: The Critical, But Less Sexy Side of Cybersecurity, available here) discusses how, in an era where cybersecurity breaches have become a harrowing reality, legal professionals are swiftly awakening to the critical significance of a robust data strategy. As one member of a key circle of stakeholders managing risk in the corporation, lawyers can no longer continue to ignore the need to find the best method of reducing information risk. He also notes: “We increasingly see legal firms embracing data remediation as a core component of their legal toolkit, priming these forward-thinking practitioners to protect their clients’ interests.”

However, amidst this growing recognition, a contrasting reality persists as certain organizations find themselves grappling with the challenges of embracing data remediation. Frequently, cybersecurity responsibilities lie solely within the domain of dedicated cybersecurity teams, primarily focusing on bolstering perimeter protection and monitoring through firewalls and other traditional measures. As a result, legal professionals encounter resistance when advocating for data deletion or remediation, with concerns arising regarding the potential loss of data that once held value. Moreover, these lawyers face an uphill battle in conveying the holistic benefits of data remediation to the broader organization, where people often hoard information as their most valuable asset.

Deleting large amounts of old information that was once important and still seems relevant can be a daunting task. Nonetheless, the benefits of data remediation for both law firms and corporations are immense and cannot be overlooked. As Frederic notes, the benefits include:

• Improving the quality of data directly impacts the organization’s performance.
• Reducing cybersecurity risks by ensuring only useful data is retained, thus minimizing the potential for breaches or leaks.
• Mitigating business and litigation risks by eliminating remnants of past business practices that are now considered inappropriate.
• Ensuring sensitive organizational data is stored securely in appropriate locations.
• Reducing costs associated with storing excessive data and simplifying data management.
• Accelerating defense against data-related lawsuits and regulatory inquiries by facilitating efficient data retrieval and compliance.
• Increasing efficiency and productivity through easier access to data and quicker decision-making.
• Enhancing compliance with privacy laws and regulations, enabling alignment with ever-changing standards such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, the California Consumer Privacy Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and others.

As the volume of data produced in the workplace continues to exponentially increase, so does the risk it poses to organizations. While the task may seem daunting, the benefits of data remediation far outweigh the effort. Data remediation encompasses the process of ensuring the quality and security of stored information by fixing errors, organizing, cleansing, deleting, migrating, and archiving data. It also involves ensuring data accessibility, enhancing data security, and ensuring data compliance.

Frederic’s article proceeds to discuss – and illustrate with a straightforward graphic – the data remediation process with five stages of data remediation. I won’t steal his thunder here, check out his article here.

When Frederic says that data remediation is “less sexy side of cybersecurity”, that’s certainly true. Most IT and legal professionals don’t get excited by information governance related topics (unless AI is somehow involved, that is). But information governance (of which data remediation is a key component) is the foundation of every organizational discipline involving data, including eDiscovery, data privacy and (of course) cybersecurity. Just as you can’t build a house without a solid foundation, you can’t build a strong cybersecurity function without effective information governance and data remediation.

So, what do you think? Does your organization have a formal data remediation program? Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the authors and speakers themselves, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.