Data Integrity ensures that the information can only be accessed or modified by authorized individuals having access to the system. Physical security of data servers, restricted access to information, strict authorization process, etc. are few measures which the organizations take in ensuring data integrity. Data integrity also deals with completeness, accuracy, and relevancy of data during their processing, analyzing and summarizing.

Most businesses rely on information technology for exchange of information and documents. With this, it is required to put in place a strong system to monitor these data to avoid any associated risks. Over-protected data from your employees would hamper their productivity and full access to information increases the possibility of a data breach.

With data governance system in place across the organization, the below-mentioned factors are required to be considered for every aspect of the data system used to support business operations.

• User Access– Deciding on the level of visibility of data to different individuals is a daunting task as every individual perform the varied type of tasks. Data risk increases when adequate restrictions and protocols on data access are not in place. Also, it is important to ensure that the new data entering system is accurate and has adequate detection and preventive controls in place to ensure data integrity.
• Processing– Data is not only stored in the organization but are processed on daily basis to gather insights into the business With businesses now relying more on data insights as compared to human instincts, ensuring the integrity of data after processing is important. Set up preventive and detection controls to ensure data processing is complete in a timely manner in order to facilitate timely business decisions.
• Error Detection – With automation in organizations still in the nascent stage, data entry and processing is generally done by humans. With humans involved in handling a large amount of data, error in entering and processing cannot be neglected. Setup controls to ensure that any data entry or processing error is recorded, corrected and reprocessed again with accuracy. Also, analyze for patterns in errors as it might help to strengthen the controls so as to avoid future risk of error.
• Exchange – With information exchanged over networks, the risk of losing or distortion of data is high. Also, the analysis pertaining to data should be shared so that all the stakeholders working with the data are on common grounds before making any business decision. For example, low sales might be inferred by marketing
• Illegal Data Storage – With work now going beyond office hours, tracking the devices used for work is now impossible. Employees might indulge in data theft for personal benefits. However, if the system ensures a traceability of access along with leaving a trail of such information would act as a deterrence to any malicious activities.

The cost of data is high and having weak control over them would lead to the loss of any competitive advantage the company might hold. Ensuring management controls along with clear communication of data security policy would help safeguard the data integrity. Also ensuring data integrity is a continuous task, not a one-time task.

VComply is one of the best tools to ensure data integrity in the organization without hampering the growth of the organization. With verifiable tracking, it brings accountability and transparency into the system. To experience the power of VComply, signup for free now.

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