Entity Discovery: Data Classification with LightBeam
There likely isn’t a scarier series of questions to ask a CISO than: “What private data do you have? Where are you storing it? And whose data is it?”
This line of inquiry is daunting because, while it may seem straightforward, answering it is akin to solving a jigsaw puzzle of private information with your eyes closed, hands tied, and pieces scattered everywhere—from the box and floor to your neighbor’s house and a few halfway across the country for good measure.
In today’s data-driven world, data classification is essential for organizations handling large volumes of information, ensuring that data is protected and secured properly. For over two decades, we’ve relied on tools that merely scan various data sources to identify data types. However, these solutions fall tragically short in today’s regulatory environment, lacking accuracy in classifying and labeling data due to their over-reliance on regular expressions and a lack of contextual awareness within your data and applications. Moreover, these tools fail to identify individuals within this vast sea of data, making the seemingly simple task of complying with a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) a lengthy and costly process.
GDPR and other regulations grant individuals specific rights, such as accessing their personal data and requesting its deletion. Organizations must be prepared to respond promptly to these requests, as failure to do so can result in hefty fines and reputational damage. An effective data classification and discovery process is crucial for facilitating these rights, allowing companies to quickly locate and manage personal data across various platforms. GDPR is just one example of how regulations are quickly rendering existing industry tools insufficient and, in some cases, obsolete.
At LightBeam.ai, we recognized the need for a better solution and developed it.
From the beginning of our product’s development, we have leveraged AI-backed contextual data classification to bring a new level of accuracy and understanding to the process. Unlike traditional tools that rely heavily on regular expressions and static rules, our approach understands the context within your data and applications. This ensures that data is classified accurately and meaningfully, identifying not just data types but the individuals behind the data.
Implementing LightBeam is a straightforward process, designed to seamlessly integrate with your existing infrastructure. Our platform connects to hundreds of data repositories and applications without exfiltrating or sending any of your data to LightBeam, ensuring your data remains secure and private.
But we don’t stop at classification. LightBeam takes data management a step further with our innovative Entity Resolution capability. This feature allows organizations to discover not only what data they have and where it is located, but also whose data it is. Imagine having John Doe’s Social Security Number (SSN) and address in Snowflake, his address and Medical Record Number (MRN) in SharePoint, and his MRN and credit card number in ServiceNow. Traditional tools might only inform you of the presence of these data points in isolation, offering no insight into who they belong to.
LightBeam’s Entity Resolution changes the game by linking individual data elements across all your systems. With our platform, you can simply search for an entity name and instantly see all instances of that entity’s data, along with its precise location. LightBeam helps you assemble the puzzle by finding all the scattered pieces and putting them together to form a clear picture. When John Doe exercises his right to access his personal data or requests its deletion, you have the tools to respond swiftly and efficiently, ensuring compliance and strengthening trust with your stakeholders.
By solving the inherent limitations of traditional data classification tools, LightBeam not only simplifies compliance but also empowers organizations to manage their data with confidence and ease.
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