How data mapping can help you

Data mapping creates an overview of your company’s data, and makes it possible to discover duplicate data, valuable documents, potential security problems, etc. By having an insight into your data, you enable yourself to act on the basis of data. In connection with GDPR, data mapping can also identify sensitive personal data as well as vulnerabilities in the way you handle sensitive data.

This blog is about what data mapping is and how you as a company can benefit from it.

Data mapping is the process of organising, classifying, analysing and understanding the data – structured as well as unstructured – that your company stores across data systems. It shows you what information your company has, how data flows in the company, who has access to data and where it is stored.

Specifically, data mapping typically takes place by following a series of steps, including:

1. Mapping: First you get an overview of your data in the data systems you use; local drives, shared drives, CRM system, mail, services, etc.
2. Categorisation: The data is then categorised and organised by type, purpose and use.
3. Data analysis: The data is then analysed to identify patterns, dependencies and correlations.
4. Visualisation: The data is then visualised in the form of a diagram, map or other form of graphical representation, so that you can see how the data interact with each other.
5. Optimisation: Finally, the results of the data mapping are evaluated with a view to optimising data handling.

Through this process, you can gain a better understanding of how data is used in your company.

Data mapping can help a business in several ways, including:

• Support data security: Data mapping gives companies insight into where their data is most vulnerable, so they can strengthen security measures and protect themselves against data breaches and cyber attacks.
• Support data management: By identifying outdated or unnecessary data, companies can streamline their data storage and processing.
• Support decision-making: With a clear understanding of data flows and structures, companies can make better decisions based on accurate data, which can be used to improve everything from strategic planning to operations.
• Support data analysis: A detailed mapping of data types and structures makes it easier to perform in-depth data analysis, which can reveal insights that can drive business growth.
• Support compliance: By mapping where personal data is stored and used, companies can ensure that they comply with GDPR and other data legislation. This reduces the risk of fines and consequences in the event of a data breach.

Data mapping can help protect data by providing a detailed overview of the company’s data and how it is used. This makes it possible to identify vulnerable areas in a company’s data management, so that it is easier to protect personal data. You can generally say that data mapping can be used to protect data as follows:

1. Identification: By visualising the organisation’s data, you can identify where personal information is stored and how it interacts with other data. This allows measures to be taken to protect them from potential threats.
2. Access control: Data mapping makes it possible to see who has access to which data and to control access to personally sensitive information.
3. Compliance: Data mapping helps ensure compliance with regulations such as GDPR by showing how the organisation handles personal information.
4. Vulnerabilities: Data mapping can help detect vulnerabilities in data handling before they are exploited by cybercriminals.

Data mapping tools that use artificial intelligence are one of the latest developments in data mapping technology. These tools use advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques to automate and improve the process of data mapping.

With artificial intelligence, data mapping tools can enable companies to discover, map and monitor their data flows much more efficiently. This means that the tool can identify any vulnerabilities in the company’s data collection, processing and storage before they become a problem.

Another advantage of using artificial intelligence in data mapping is that the tool can learn and improve itself over time. This means that the tool can become better at identifying and protecting against vulnerabilities and cyber threats as the business grows and develops.