Data Discovery
Data discovery is the process of locating and describing the data an organisation holds — across systems, file shares and cloud services — including what it contains and how sensitive it is.
What is Data Discovery?
Definition
Data Discovery is the process of finding out what data an organisation actually holds: which systems, file shares and cloud services contain it, what is inside, and how sensitive that is. It is unglamorous and unavoidable, because every later decision — classification, retention, access rules, encryption — depends on an inventory that reflects reality rather than the last time someone wrote one. In most organisations the interesting result is not the known repositories but the copies nobody remembered making.
Role in cybersecurity
Data Discovery plays an important role in building organizational resilience against cyber threats. Implementing appropriate mechanisms in this area is required by regulations such as NIS2, DORA and ISO 27001.