4 Data inventory

 

This chapter covers

  • What a data inventory is
  • Creating tags and a baseline for a data inventory
  • The technical architecture for the data inventory process
  • Understanding your data better for a more accurate inventory
  • Starting and adjusting the depth of the data inventory process
  • Assessing the effectiveness of your data inventory outcomes

In the last chapter, we dove deep into data classification. We saw how the classification exercise helps build cross-functional context on privacy risk, how it changes based on data usage and context, and how it helps you tailor data protection methodologies. The process and outcomes equip engineering leaders and their lieutenants to make informed decisions around what data to collect and how to protect it.

However, the data classification process is just half of a larger data governance exercise. In order to right-size and scale your privacy and security tools, you need the right tooling to ensure that your data systems reflect your data classification. This chapter will help you accomplish just that by completing your data inventory. This is more important than most leaders realize.

4.1 Data inventory: What it is and why you need it

4.2 Machine-readable tags

4.2.1 What are data inventory tags?

4.2.2 Data inventory tags: A specific example

4.3 Creating a baseline

4.4 The technical architecture

4.4.1 Structured and unstructured data

4.4.2 Data inventory architectural capabilities

4.4.3 Data inventory workflow

4.5 Understanding the data

4.5.1 The metadata definition process

4.5.2 The metadata discovery process