dust off old data to optimize, secure storage

breaches, legal complicationsand technical

problems.

Companies that hold tight to out-of-date data put themselves at risk for

To prevent these issues, you can clear the dark data

from your virtualized attic in six steps.

1) Overcome the out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality.

Acknowledge that it can be a risk if left

untouched.

Even if you’re not thinking about dark data, it’s lurking inthe corners.

2) Organize your data and

and ensure you’re not housing data that breaks

compliance standards.

Sort through your unstructured data, delete the files that don’t add value

3) Remember to keep important data easily accessible.

store it so that’s it easy to find,

utilize and audit.

If you stumble upon something frequently needed,

4) Understand the difference between a rare coin collection

and a jarof pennies.

and get rid of anything that doesn’t scream

“Keep me.I’m important!”

Not all data is created equal. Figure out which files have business value,

5) Secure any sensitive, vital data.

such as financial data or personally identifiable

information (PII),

secure it to protect against risk.

If you find vital information during your spring cleaning,

6) Dust off the rest of your data and organize it accordingly.

organize whatever’s left so it’s easy to

navigate and protect.

(And check out the added space you didn’t know you had.)

Once you’vemade the necessary purges,

Data-aware storage helps you sort, purge, prioritize and

protect stored data.

Want to learn how data-aware technology can help you spring clean your data?

Watch the DataGravity webinar, “Optimize Your Data’s Footprint, Security & Protection in Virtual Environments.”

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