CIOs must embrace better defined data policy

I’ve discussed in previous posts how enterprises and networks may be playing catch-up in the next few years as the velocity of big data, driven by the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to accelerate at the same time as networks and regulatory standards become increasingly complex. So, in this post, I will look at how data policies will become better defined as well as the role of the CIO in managing enterprise data policy.

In the next five years pretty much everything will be stored in the cloud. This will surface questions such as does the location of data matter? If not, storing it in the public cloud may be a viable option. If location does matter due to regulatory issues, maybe a public cloud provider isn’t a viable alternative, as you are not certain where data is physically stored.

Another question to ask when storing data in the cloud is who has access to it? These questions, and their respective answers will dictate the CIO’s data management strategy.

CIOs will always need to be ready to respond to challenges posed by the pace of technological change, particularly when it comes to data security as well. Data security is, and will remain, about making a call between what is an acceptable amount of convenience versus an acceptable amount of risk.

While a CIO’s role is to enable progression within the business through technology, the emergence of big data and regulations surrounding it means data management and security will climb higher on the agenda.

As issues around data are exposed and better understood, what is within or beyond data protection regulations will be more clearly defined. One of the priorities for policy makers in the next couple of years will be to remove the grey areas around data protection, defining the dos and don’ts regarding data clearer for businesses.

In the long-term, as new technologies and networks continue to spring up, new security challenges will come with them. CIOs must work with technology providers to find solutions to those problems and future-proof existing infrastructure.

Read my previous posts. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts on data policy in the comments below – how do you think these issues will be resolved?