10 Actions Data Leaders Must Take for Healthy Data Management

Artificial intelligence thrives on high-quality data, making robust data management essential in today's digital landscape. Safeguarding its health is critical for any business looking to gain a competitive edge. However, this dependence makes data health a critical concern. Companies must ensure robust data health checks to safeguard their information against various threats. As a Lenovo partner, I appreciate the steps the company has taken to incorporate a data health checklist to help enterprises maintain data health and governance. I’ve outlined ten critical actions data leaders need to take to ensure healthy data management while identifying industry trends and practices.

Review the 10 key points listed below and assess your current status. Don't wait for data issues to cause setbacks—act now to maintain a healthy data environment. Click here to check your data health and ensure your business's data is secure and reliable, keeping your AI running smoothly.

1. Establish a Rigorous Data Backup Protocol

Data backup is the cornerstone of a resilient data management strategy. Surprisingly, only 55% of all data is backed up , and many organisations still lack a structured approach to data storage, which leads to inefficiencies and vulnerabilities. A robust backup protocol must be in place, ensuring that essential data is not only backed up but also stored in a manner that optimises recovery and use.

2. Implement Frequent Backup Schedules

The frequency of backups is crucial in a digital-first environment where business operations are highly dependent on applications. A failure or interruption in a business-critical application can result in substantial financial losses, approximately $68,000 per hour . Hence, frequent and strategic backups are necessary to minimize operational disruptions and financial risks.

3. Define and Understand Downtime Tolerance

Downtime can be extraordinarily costly, with organisations potentially losing around $540,000 in revenue per hour of downtime. Every 11 seconds, a business falls victim to ransomware, exacerbating the risk. It’s imperative for businesses to clearly define their downtime tolerance levels to ensure they have effective risk management strategies that align with their operational capabilities and recovery time objectives.

4. Prepare for Data Breaches

With 76% of organisations experiencing at least one ransomware attack in a year, preparing for data breaches is no longer optional. Companies must have predefined incident response strategies that include immediate actions, communication plans, and recovery steps to mitigate damage and restore operations as quickly as possible.

5. Monitor and Respond to Cloud Expenditures

As Gartner highlights, public cloud spend reached $600 billion globally in 2023 . However, companies are increasingly moving back to on-premise solutions due to cost and control concerns. Monitoring cloud expenditures and understanding the cost-benefit ratio of cloud vs. on-premise solutions is essential for maintaining budgetary control and ensuring data scalability.

6. Focus on Scalable Backup Solutions

As data volumes grow exponentially, it’s crucial for businesses to implement backup solutions that can scale effectively. Lenovo, recognized as the fastest-growing Global Storage Provider, emphasises the importance of scalable infrastructure to accommodate increasing data loads without compromising security or performance.

7. Address Unstructured Data

With an estimated 90% of data going unaccessed after 90 days , businesses must have strategies in place to manage unstructured data. This includes identifying which data should be archived, actively managed, or deleted, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations and optimising storage resources.

8. Strengthen Malware Protection Measures

The global cost of malware is expected to grow to $10.5 trillion by 2025 . Protecting against malware requires robust security protocols, continuous monitoring, and regular updates to defensive measures to guard against evolving threats.

9. Utilize Data Analytics for Health Checks

Data analytics plays a crucial role in performing health checks by providing insights into storage efficiency, backup success rates, and anomaly detection. By leveraging analytics, companies can proactively manage their data health, optimising operations and preventing data loss.

10. Educate and Train Staff

Human error remains a significant risk factor in data management. Regular training and awareness campaigns are vital to ensure that all employees understand the importance of data security practices and their roles in maintaining data integrity.

Conclusion

Implementing comprehensive data health checks is imperative for businesses to protect their critical information assets. Adopting a proactive and strategic approach to data health not only secures data but also enhances operational efficiency and business resilience. Companies must remain vigilant and adaptive to the challenges of data management to safeguard their future in an increasingly data-driven world.

Click here to assess your current data health and take immediate steps to strengthen your data management strategy. Secure your data to keep your AI projects on track.