Today’s world is full of data. The principle of data in itself is a good one and, analysed and used properly, it can lead to effective innovation, improvement, development and achievement. It’s when things aren’t managed correctly that risks are introduced.
However, there can be too much data – we’re all familiar with that. Our brains are full to capacity with personal data: usernames and passwords for different solutions and apps being just one area that has mushroomed over the past few years. For companies, that’s magnified many times over. So how can a business even begin to streamline and sort out what they need and what they don’t?
Knowing what you’ve got
One of the main concerns is building up a picture of company data, i.e., how it is collected, how it is used and how it is shared and stored. This can be extremely time consuming so, to help complete it, companies should not only talk to other staff members to ensure they are not just aware of what data they have and where it is, but also look at software solutions that can do the job in half the time, whilst evidencing the updates and changes required.
And, just so you know, NetSupport DNA includes tools to help organisations to meet their GDPR/data protection requirements at no extra cost!
Why do you need to know?
To know whether data has been lost and to be able to report it within the stipulated 72 hours’ timeframe, companies must first have a clear picture of its location.
Using NetSupport DNA’s file discovery, a data manager can quickly scan all or selected network PCs and identify all file types that may contain confidential information about staff and/or customers. Then, using the optional remote control features (NetSupport Manager), technicians can also quickly access a PC or laptop on the network to remove or move any files that should not be there.
Streamline and work smarter
To help companies reduce the amount of data they store, they can set a Data Retention Policy to delete data over 365 days old (default mode). The policy can be scheduled to run automatically at any time, on any day or at any interval.
Examples of data included in a retention policy include:
- Internet metering
- History
- Application metering
- Login sessions
- Power on/off sessions
- USB device use
- Print cost data
- Software distribution
You can back up all data before the policy runs and send an email to notify staff when the process is about to start. This way, you can ensure that you only have what you need and are complying with data retention guidance.
Organising data is good
Organising your data is a bit like decluttering your house. Once it’s done, you’ll know exactly what you’ve got and you’ll be able to find it in a heartbeat, rather than spending hours sorting through files, folders and backup drives!