Table of Contents
- Are You Prepared for Privacy Laws? Test Your Info Governance Knowledge Today!
- Why Does Information Governance Matter?
- What Is Information Governance?
- The Rise of Information Governance
- Why It’s More Critical Than Ever
- Ready to Test Your Knowledge?
- Question 1
- Answer
- Explanation
- Question 2
- Answer
- Explanation
- Question 3
- Answer
- Explanation
- Question 4
- Answer
- Explanation
- Question 5
- Answer
- Explanation
- Question 6
- Answer
- Explanation
- Question 7
- Answer
- Explanation
- Question 8
- Answer
- Explanation
- Question 9
- Answer
- Explanation
- Question 10
- Answer
- Explanation
- Question 11
- Answer
- Explanation
- Question 12
- Answer
- Explanation
- Question 13
- Answer
- Explanation
- Question 14
- Answer
- Explanation
- Question 15
- Answer
- Explanation
Are You Prepared for Privacy Laws? Test Your Info Governance Knowledge Today!
Privacy laws are tightening, and businesses are feeling the heat. Information governance isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the lifeline organizations need to stay ahead. Let’s break it down and see why it matters.
Why Does Information Governance Matter?
Imagine your office as a cluttered attic. You know there’s something important in there, but finding it takes hours. That’s what happens when information is poorly managed. With a solid governance plan, everything has its place, and you can grab what you need in seconds.
Here’s what a good information governance strategy can do:
- Boost productivity: Workers waste less time hunting for documents.
- Cut storage costs: No more hoarding unnecessary files.
- Ensure compliance: Avoid fines and maintain trust by following regulations like GDPR or CCPA.
Without it, you’re risking chaos, inefficiency, and hefty legal penalties.
What Is Information Governance?
Think of it as your organization’s traffic controller. It’s a system of processes, roles, and tools that:
- Keep your data secure.
- Make sure only the right people access sensitive info.
- Help you follow privacy laws without breaking a sweat.
When done right, it’s like having a well-oiled machine. When done wrong? It’s like trying to drive with a blindfold on.
The Rise of Information Governance
Back in the 2010s, digital transformation took off. Companies started ditching paper and going digital. But with more data came more headaches—how do you manage it all? That’s where information governance stepped in.
At first, businesses focused on simple projects like scanning documents into digital form. Now, they’re tackling bigger challenges like deciding what data to keep and what to toss.
Why It’s More Critical Than Ever
Today, customers expect their privacy to be protected. They want transparency about how their data is used. Meanwhile, regulators are watching closely, ready to pounce on any missteps. Organizations are responding by hiring experts like Chief Information Governance Officers (CIGOs) to handle the pressure.
If you’re not taking information governance seriously, you’re falling behind.
Ready to Test Your Knowledge?
Think you’ve got this figured out? Take the quiz below to see if you’re up to speed on the basics of information governance. Whether you’re a business leader or just curious about how companies manage data, this quiz will challenge what you know—and maybe teach you something new.
Question 1
True or false: Information governance and data governance are the same thing.
A. True
B. False
Answer
B. False
Explanation
Data governance is one component of information governance. Information governance focuses on the policies and procedures that can help an organization balance compliance and risk management requirements with its business goals. Data governance, on the other hand, focuses on the technical aspects of data collection and storage.
Question 2
What can information governance help organizations achieve?
A. Reduced storage costs
B. Improved regulatory compliance
C. Streamlined e-discovery
D. All of the above
Answer
D. All of the above
Explanation
An effective information governance plan identifies and reduces redundant, outdated and trivial information that an organization stores, which can cut storage costs and streamline e-discovery. As ROT clutters an organization’s storage with irrelevant information, workers may struggle to find the information they need. For example, ROT can hinder legal teams in the e-discovery process as they attempt to locate information relevant to a court case.
Information governance also lays out policies and procedures to protect data, such as access controls and retention schedules, and ensures regulatory compliance with laws like HIPAA and GDPR. In the U.S., HIPAA stipulates how healthcare providers and their business associates store and process protected health information. Access controls restrict PHI access to workers that need it, which reduces security risks.
GDPR ensures any organization that collects an EU citizen’s personally identifiable information (PII) does so responsibly. For instance, organizations must only collect PII for specific business purposes and delete it when it’s no longer necessary. Retention schedules can streamline the deletion of unnecessary PII in compliance with GDPR.
Question 3
Which is an example of an information governance policy?
A. Employees must keep records for seven years.
B. Managers must check in with direct reports monthly.
C. Employees receive gym membership reimbursements.
D. In-office meetings require business casual attire.
Answer
A. Employees must keep records for seven years.
Explanation
Information governance policies focus on the management of company information to meet regulatory compliance and business goals. Keeping records for seven years is a common example of information governance, because regulations like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act require organizations to preserve certain records for that time frame. Organizations that don’t comply with this can face legal penalties and reputational damage.
Question 4
Which roles typically initiate and lead information governance plans?
A. Chief marketing officers and creative directors
B. HR directors and account executives
C. Chief customer officers and customer loyalty strategists
D. CIOs, chief data officers (CDOs) and CIGOs
Answer
D. CIOs, chief data officers (CDOs) and CIGOs
Explanation
Some organizations have dedicated CIGOs who oversee the information governance plan’s success and ongoing maintenance. However, in most organizations, the CIO or CDO leads the plan.
Question 5
True or false: Information governance professionals typically struggle to get buy-in from C-level executives.
A. True
B. False
Answer
A. True
Explanation
C-level executives may view information governance as a lower priority compared to business growth, so information governance advocates may struggle to gain C-level support. To garner executive buy-in, advocates should explain how information governance can secure important customer and business information, deliver ROI and boost an organization’s growth.
Question 6
Which roles typically comprise an information governance committee?
A. Sales, marketing and graphic design professionals
B. Business, legal, HR, compliance and IT leaders
C. Accounting and editorial professionals
D. Only IT professionals
Answer
B. Business, legal, HR, compliance and IT leaders
Explanation
People who build information governance plans must understand business goals, industry-specific compliance regulations, data management and more. Therefore, organizations should form a committee of key stakeholders that includes leaders in business, legal, HR, compliance and IT departments to devise the plan and review its effectiveness over time.
Question 7
As the committee plans its information governance initiative, what should it do first?
A. Perform a needs assessment and evaluate compliance requirements
B. Purchase information governance software
C. Delete all files more than six years old
D. All of the above
Answer
A. Perform a needs assessment and evaluate compliance requirements
Explanation
An organization’s business and compliance requirements shape its information governance plan, so committees must identify those needs early in the planning process. For example, if an organization stores a lot of duplicate data, the committee may focus on data deduplication to reduce storage costs. Also, to maintain proper compliance, committees must identify any industry-specific regulations, such as HIPAA and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, that apply to their organization.
Question 8
An effective information governance plan can generate _____.
A. A single source of truth (SSOT)
B. ROT data
C. Omnichannel support
D. Both B and C
Answer
A. A single source of truth (SSOT)
Explanation
An effective information governance plan should make information easily accessible to those who need it. Workers may struggle to find accurate data if their organization stores different versions of the same information in different places, creating data silos. An SSOT offers a centralized place to access reliable information.
Question 9
What role do user permissions play in information governance?
A. Creating social media accounts for employees
B. Encrypting files to prevent data leaks
C. Controlling access to files based on user roles
D. Integrating disparate systems
Answer
C. Controlling access to files based on user roles
Explanation
Role-based permissions limit access to sensitive files to credentialed users based on their organizational roles. For instance, an HR director might be able to access employees’ tax documents and salaries, whereas a marketing director would not have access. This role-based access control benefits information governance because it reduces the risk of a data leak or compliance failure.
Question 10
How does information governance improve e-discovery?
A. Optimizes employee onboarding
B. Enables file retrieval and preservation
C. Streamlines supply chain management
D. Distributes marketing content across channels
Answer
B. Enables file retrieval and preservation
Explanation
E-discovery, the process of identifying and preserving electronic content relevant to legal processes and investigations, can help organizations comply with regulations like GDPR and the U.S. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. An information governance plan implements the roles, policies and tools to help people find and protect content that might be relevant to any legal proceedings.
Question 11
How can AI improve information governance?
A. Automates the classification and categorization of data
B. Requires employees to enter a passcode before entering a data center
C. Improves marketing and sales
D. Generates responses to customer emails
Answer
A. Automates the classification and categorization of data
Explanation
AI tools can automatically add relevant metadata tags to files based on their content. This can help employees categorize content in accordance with compliance policies.
Question 12
Which technology lets organizations manage information that remote employees generate and share across different collaboration tools?
A. Workforce optimization platforms
B. Unified communications as a service
C. Data federation software
D. Predictive analytics tools
Answer
C. Data federation software
Explanation
Data federation software uses APIs to interact with other tools and bring data from disparate sources into a centralized location. This software can streamline how organizations manage and control information across collaboration platforms.
Question 13
Why should organizations conduct regular information governance audits?
A. Keep up with regulatory changes
B. Identify and address pain points
C. Improve operational efficiency
D. All of the above
Answer
D. All of the above
Explanation
Information governance teams should routinely audit their plans because laws and regulations can change. For instance, a change in sustainability legislation might require organizations to store and report on data they once ignored or destroyed. Audits can also help organizations detect and address pain points, which can boost operational efficiency.
Question 14
Which metric can help organizations track their information governance plan’s success?
A. Number of security incidents
B. Amount of storage that each department uses
C. Ratio of used to unused files
D. All of the above
Answer
D. All of the above
Explanation
An organization should implement an information governance plan with specific goals and measure over time whether its plan achieves those goals. Typically, organizations use information governance to enhance compliance and security, increase productivity and cut storage costs, so metrics like the number of security incidents and amount of storage used in each department can help evaluate success.
Also, organizations can use the ratio of used to unused files in their systems to identify ROT. If the majority of an organization’s files go unused for extended periods of time, information governance professionals may want to delete them.
Question 15
What can technology leaders do to ensure an information governance plan’s effectiveness?
A. Offer one training to all employees
B. Limit ongoing training to professionals in IT, legal, HR and compliance roles
C. Increase IT staff
D. Offer ongoing trainings and provide regular updates to all employees
Answer
D. Offer ongoing trainings and provide regular updates to all employees
Explanation
An information governance plan’s success relies on cooperation from all workers. For instance, a governance policy may require all workers to encrypt attachments before they share sensitive information over email. However, without consistent training, employees may forget how to encrypt data or underestimate the policy’s importance.
Organizations should offer ongoing training to all employees to keep information governance fresh in employees’ minds. Managers should also weave important information governance updates into regular discussions to keep employees up to date on the latest policy changes.