Data Governance Plan for Cloud-Based Projects

1. Introduction

Data governance ensures that data is managed securely, efficiently, and in compliance with regulations. This plan outlines the policies and procedures for handling data in cloud environments.

2. Objectives

• Ensure data security, privacy, and compliance.
• Standardize data access and ownership.
• Implement lifecycle management for cloud storage.
• Monitor and audit data usage effectively.

3. Data Classification & Ownership

• Data Categories:
  • Public Data
  • Internal Data
  • Confidential Data
  • Highly Sensitive Data
• Data Owners: Assign stakeholders for accountability.
• Data Stewards: Manage access permissions and quality.

4. Data Security & Access Control

• Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) using AWS IAM, Azure RBAC, or GCP IAM.
• Use encryption for data at rest and in transit via AWS KMS, Azure Key Vault, or Google Cloud KMS.
• Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for privileged users.

5. Compliance & Regulatory Adherence

• Align with industry standards (GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, PCI-DSS).
• Conduct periodic compliance audits using AWS Audit Manager, Azure Compliance Manager, or Google Security Command Center.
• Maintain data sovereignty by selecting appropriate cloud regions.

6. Data Lifecycle Management

• Define retention periods for different data types.
• Automate archiving and deletion with AWS S3 Lifecycle Policies, Azure Blob Storage Tiers, or Google Cloud Storage Classes.
• Implement backup and disaster recovery strategies with versioning and replication.

7. Monitoring & Auditing

• Enable logging and monitoring using AWS CloudTrail, Azure Monitor, or Google Cloud Logging.
• Set up real-time alerts for unauthorized access and anomalies.
• Schedule periodic data access reviews.

8. Data Quality & Integrity

• Implement ETL pipelines using AWS Glue, Azure Data Factory, or Google Dataflow.
• Validate data integrity with automated checks and error detection.
• Establish a single source of truth for critical datasets.

9. Incident Response & Risk Management

• Develop a response plan for data breaches.
• Automate security policies using Policy-as-Code (Terraform, AWS Config Rules).
• Conduct regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments.

10. Continuous Improvement & Review

• Review governance policies quarterly.
• Conduct training sessions for stakeholders.
• Adapt governance strategies based on industry trends and compliance updates.

This Data Governance Plan ensures structured, secure, and compliant data management in cloud-based projects. Implementation of these best practices will enhance data security, regulatory adherence, and operational efficiency.

Happy Learning !!!