41% of the information in CH companies is "Dark Data".

Within the framework of the Value of Data Study Vanson Bourne had surveyed 1500 IT decision-makers and data managers from 15 countries, including 100 from Switzerland, on behalf of Veritas. The survey shows that, on average, 41 percent of all data is not classified or tagged. This means that Swiss companies have no visibility into large volumes of potentially business-critical data - making them an easy target for hackers.

Classify data

Organizations that classify their data have the advantage of being able to quickly scan and tag information. This ensures that sensitive or even dangerous data is properly managed and secured - regardless of where it resides. This visibility enables organizations to comply with increasingly stringent data protection regulations. This includes the introduction and implementation of certain retention requirements that apply to an organization's entire data inventory.

When it comes to data security, public cloud and mobile IT environments are particularly vulnerable. This is where data is most likely to be unclassified or not properly protected. Only two percent of the companies surveyed responded that all data in the public cloud is classified. None of the respondents, on the other hand, could confirm that this also applies to information located on mobile devices. Another 40 percent of companies have classified less than half of the data in the public cloud and more than two-thirds (71%) have classified less than half of the data on mobile devices.

Dangerous fallacy

The "Truth in Cloud" survey, an earlier Veritas study, had already concluded that an alarming majority (66%) of enterprises worldwide believe their cloud service providers must take care of all data protection and compliance regulations. This is a dangerous fallacy: most cloud providers transfer responsibility for data management to their customers in their contracts.

"We are all experiencing that the working world is becoming more mobile, the boundaries between professional and private life are blurring and data is spread across more and more different storage locations," says Thomas W. Luchetta, Country Manager Switzerland & Austria at Veritas. "This offers some advantages, but at the same time companies are under all the more pressure: if data in such distributed environments is not properly labeled, it remains hidden. This 'dark data' can quickly jeopardize the reputation and market share of companies - at the latest when it comes into conflict with data protection regulations such as the GDPR. This makes it all the more important to manage and protect data efficiently."

Two most important factors

According to the survey, the most important data management factors in Switzerland include greater data security (72%), more data transparency and control (38%) and compliance with official regulations (37%). However, the majority of respondents admit that their company still has room for improvement in all these areas.

"The dangerous thing about 'dark data' is that it is quickly forgotten in organizations - out of sight, out of mind. But for cyber criminals and ransomware attacks, they are a tempting target. In contrast, the more companies know about their data, the better they can assess its value or potential risk," Luchetta continued. "However, it's also clear that even mid-sized companies already have billions of files. As a result, manual classification and categorization are almost impossible. Data management tools based on algorithms and machine learning, internal policies, and implemented processes help manage, protect, and gain valuable insights from data - no matter where it resides."

Source: LEWIS Communications GmbH

Methodology

In October and November, a total of 1500 IT decision makers and data managers were surveyed in the US, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, UAE, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.