Which of the following is the PRIMARY prerequisite to implementing data classification within an organization?
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A. B. C. D.C.
Identifying the data owners is the first step, and is essential to implementing data classification.
Defining job roles is not relevant.
Performing a risk assessment is important, but will require the participation of data owners (who must first be identified)
Establishing data retention policies may occur after data have been classified.
The primary prerequisite to implementing data classification within an organization is performing a risk assessment (option B).
Data classification is the process of categorizing data based on its level of sensitivity, importance, and value to the organization. It enables organizations to establish appropriate controls to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. However, before implementing data classification, organizations need to understand the risks associated with their data assets.
A risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying, analyzing, and evaluating potential threats and vulnerabilities to an organization's information assets. It helps organizations to understand the likelihood and impact of various threats and vulnerabilities to their data assets, and to prioritize their security controls accordingly. By performing a risk assessment, organizations can identify which data assets are most critical to their business operations and need to be protected through data classification.
Defining job roles (option A), identifying data owners (option C), and establishing data retention policies (option D) are all important steps in implementing data classification. However, they are not the primary prerequisites. Defining job roles can help to assign responsibilities and accountability for data classification, but it should be done after the risk assessment. Identifying data owners is important to determine who has authority over data classification decisions, but it also comes after the risk assessment. Establishing data retention policies is necessary to determine how long data should be kept, but it does not directly relate to data classification.
In summary, performing a risk assessment is the primary prerequisite to implementing data classification within an organization as it helps to identify and prioritize the organization's data assets that require classification and protection.