How do you monitor and audit your marketing data access and usage?

1 Define your data governance policies

The first step to monitor and audit your marketing data access and usage is to establish clear and consistent data governance policies. These are the rules and guidelines that define who can access what data, for what purpose, and how they should handle it. Data governance policies should cover aspects such as data ownership, roles and responsibilities, data classification, data retention, data privacy, data ethics, and data breach response. Data governance policies should be documented, communicated, and enforced across your organization, and aligned with your business objectives and legal requirements.

2 Implement data access controls

The next step is to implement data access controls that enforce your data governance policies and prevent unauthorized or inappropriate access to your data. Data access controls are the mechanisms that grant or deny users the ability to view, edit, delete, or share data, based on their identity, role, or context. Data access controls can be applied at different levels, such as data sources, data platforms, data tools, or data outputs. Data access controls should be based on the principle of least privilege, meaning that users should only have the minimum level of access required to perform their tasks.

3 Monitor data usage activities

The third step is to monitor data usage activities, which are the actions that users perform on your data, such as querying, analyzing, reporting, or exporting. Monitoring data usage activities can help you detect and prevent data misuse, abuse, or leakage, as well as measure and optimize data performance and value. You can monitor data usage activities by using tools such as data catalogs, data lineage, data quality, data analytics, or data alerts. These tools can help you track and visualize who is using what data, how, when, where, and why, and identify any issues or anomalies.

4 Audit data usage logs

The fourth step is to audit data usage logs, which are the records of data usage activities that are stored in your data systems or platforms. Auditing data usage logs can help you verify and validate data usage activities, as well as comply with data regulations and standards. You can audit data usage logs by using tools such as data auditing, data compliance, or data forensics. These tools can help you review and analyze data usage logs, and generate reports or evidence of data usage activities, such as who accessed what data, when, where, how, and why.

5 Review and update your data governance policies

The fifth step is to review and update your data governance policies regularly, based on the insights and feedback from your monitoring and auditing processes. Reviewing and updating your data governance policies can help you ensure that they are relevant, effective, and aligned with your changing business needs and legal obligations. You can review and update your data governance policies by using tools such as data governance dashboards, data governance surveys, or data governance audits. These tools can help you assess and measure the maturity and performance of your data governance policies, and identify any gaps or opportunities for improvement.

6 Educate and empower your data users

The sixth and final step is to educate and empower your data users, which are the people who access and use your data for various purposes. Educating and empowering your data users can help you foster a culture of data responsibility, accountability, and value across your organization. You can educate and empower your data users by using tools such as data literacy, data training, data coaching, or data advocacy. These tools can help you raise awareness and understanding of your data governance policies, and provide guidance and support for your data users to access and use your data effectively and ethically.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?