Data governance is a critical aspect of managing and securing an organisation’s data within SharePoint. It involves a set of policies, roles, responsibilities, and processes that ensure data in SharePoint is handled in a way that meets the organisation’s security and compliance requirements.
Data governance ensures that data is accessible to those who need it while being secure from potential threats. This is particularly important for SharePoint, which is often used for storing and sharing a vast amount of corporate data. Effective data governance helps prevent data sprawl, protects sensitive information, and maintains the quality of data.
One of the key reasons why data governance is essential for SharePoint is the platform’s collaborative nature. SharePoint allows users to easily create, share, and access content, which can lead to oversharing and exposure of sensitive information if not properly governed. Implementing data governance helps in setting up the right permissions, controlling access, and monitoring how data is shared and used within the organisation.
Best practices for data governance in SharePoint include:
Classifying Data: Identify and classify data based on its sensitivity and importance. Apply sensitivity labels to help enforce policies and to control access.
Access Control: Define who has access to what data. Use SharePoint’s robust permission settings to grant appropriate access levels to different users and groups.
Monitoring and Reporting: Regularly monitor data access and sharing activities. Use SharePoint’s data access governance reports to identify potential oversharing or misuse of data.
Compliance and Retention Policies: Establish retention policies to ensure data is kept only as long as necessary. Align SharePoint’s governance with the organisation’s compliance requirements.
Education and Training: Educate users about the importance of data governance and provide training on how to use SharePoint responsibly.
Continuous Review and Improvement: Data governance is not a one-time setup. Continuously review and improve governance policies to adapt to new business needs or changes in compliance regulations.
By following these best practices, organisations can make best use of SharePoint while ensuring their data is governed properly. Implementing a strong data governance strategy in SharePoint is not just about technology; it’s about aligning people, processes, and technology to achieve the organisation’s data management goals.
