Data integrity is the overall completeness, accuracy and consistency of data. Organizations need reliable data in order to make quick and effective decision making. Compromised data is of little use to enterprises, not to mention the dangers presented by sensitive data loss. For this reason, maintaining data integrity should be a core focus of all businesses. Data integrity can be compromised in a number of ways. Each time data is replicated or transferred, it should remain intact and unaltered between updates. Error checking methods and validation procedures should happen to ensure the integrity of data that is transferred or reproduced.

There are several ways data integrity can be compromised:

• Human error, whether malicious or unintentional
• Transfer errors, including unintended alterations or data compromise during transfer from one device to another
• Bugs, viruses/malware, hacking, and other cyber threats
• Compromised hardware, such as a device or disk crash
• Physical compromise to devices

There are several requirements your organization needs to meet in order to achieve data integrity:

• Completeness: A data record, such as a description of an IT asset, must be complete to satisfy the needs of all its consumers. IT Operations cares whether the asset is active and where it is located, while Finance wants to manage attribution of software licenses. Gaps in the attribute data can impair an organization’s ability to manage the asset properly, leading to bigger issues down the road.
• Accuracy: Incorrect information due to manual input errors or mishandling conflicting data between sources. At times, software programs or discovery tools can cause errors with data.
• Consistency: One source of data usually can guarantee consistency. When you have multiple sources of data, you must decide which source is the most accurate, which is complicated and establishing automated precedence rules can be challenging without the right tools.

Autonomous, data-driven decision-making is increasing across industries. Left unchecked, the potential harm from bad data becomes an enterprise-level existential threat. Everyone that you work with and for need to have confidence in the integrity of your company’s data and insights. With the manufacturing industry undergoing a digital transformation, data is the key to its success. Regardless of what your IT initiative is, data integrity is key. 2W Tech is a full-service IT Consulting Firm that can help you ensure your organization is set up with the tools needed to achieve data integrity. Give us a call today to get started.
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