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Governance, Risk, Audit & Privacy · Foundational

Data Classification

Categorizing data by sensitivity and value to determine required protection and handling.

Definition

Classification schemes typically include levels such as public, internal, confidential, and restricted in commercial settings, or unclassified, confidential, secret, and top secret in government. The data owner assigns classification; labeling and handling standards follow. Classification drives access control, encryption, DLP, and retention decisions.

Example

Customer payment data is classified restricted, requiring encryption and access only by approved roles.

Exam tip

The data owner, not the custodian, is responsible for classification.

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