Data is the lifeblood of every enterprise, so why does the task of managing and securing rapidly expanding volumes and types of data and new, modern threats continue to be a formidable challenge for most organizations? According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), 2023 set a new record for data breaches, with data compromises jumping 78% over 2022. Malicious actors obviously see the value of data — but without visibility and controls into where data exists, who has access to it and its impact on the business, a security program will slow down the organization’s future growth while increasing security and compliance risks. 

For many organizations, improving data-driven business outcomes while ensuring data security in the era of cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), and the internet of things (IoT) comes with inherent friction. To handle these frictions, it’s important to understand a few key issues: the challenges related to unchecked data growth, how data backup and security needs have changed, how to evaluate the business impact of your data and why it’s imperative to secure data now and in the future.