Nixon Digital

Why Ghost Assets are bad for your GDPR compliance

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Ensuring data protection and privacy is one of the most important functions of an IT organization, especially as the number of data breaches within organizations continues to increase. In fact, the average number of violations increased 14% in 2021 from the previous year. 

However, the financial threat is not the only reason to prioritize data protection and privacy. Customer trust is an important factor in building a customer base, and data breaches can directly impact that trust. Public perception of a business can be significantly impacted after a data breach, which is why it’s so important to take steps to prevent a breach. 

What are ghost assets?

In cybersecurity, ghost assets are assets that exist in your environment that you cannot see. They can be invisible due to incomplete and outdated content inventory or the result of ghost computers. Regardless of their origin, they lurk in your environment and can create dangerous new vulnerabilities without your knowledge. 

GDPR in a world of remote working

Having a complete and accurate inventory of all your IT assets, along with detailed information about all of your company’s IT assets, is an important step towards GDPR compliance. However, many IT managers lack this inventory. Up to 30% of organizations do not even know what digital assets they own, which are known as “ghost assets,” and 70% of organizations have a discrepancy of at least 30% between their reported fixed inventory and what is actually available to them.

Shadow IT is also a major problem for GDPR compliance. Research by Forcepoint found that 56% of employees between the ages of 18 and 30 rely on shadow IT to get their work done, while 67% of them said it makes their jobs easier. Teams within organizations often bypass IT and implement software and services without formal approval, making them nearly impossible to track and secure. If the company is unaware of these assets, they can’t protect them.

The transition to a hybrid workplace, with employees working from home and potentially using personal devices to connect to corporate networks, also brings complexity and potential vulnerabilities. It’s important for companies to have measures in place to protect and secure all of their digital assets to ensure GDPR compliance.

Nixon can help organizations identify and manage ghost assets by providing a centralized domain registry that allows IT teams to map all of their domains and gain visibility into their digital infrastructure. With the Nixon platform, IT teams can organize their domains by assigning them to business owners and units, categorizing them by CMS or hosting agency, and receiving notifications when new domains are added to their portfolio. The real-time dashboard also provides instant insight into the performance, compliance, and accessibility of their domains.

By using Nixon to manage their digital infrastructure, organizations can reduce the risk of ghost assets and ensure that all of their IT assets are properly documented and accounted for. This can help them meet the requirements of data protection laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and build trust with their customers.

IT asset management and GDPR

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires more than just a set of policies and procedures. IT teams need complete visibility into all online devices, software settings, users, and domains, as well as the ability to document all IT assets. During a compliance audit, companies need to be able to quickly and efficiently retrieve data to demonstrate that they have taken the necessary steps to protect customer data. This has made IT Asset Management (ITAM) even more important to GDPR compliance and protecting your organization.

Deep scanning technologies can provide unprecedented insights into the IT sector, making it faster and easier to analyze, detect, discover and document all your digital assets. IT teams can better understand and control their digital landscape, quickly identify vulnerabilities, and deploy updates to ensure data safety and protection. Complete and accurate inventories of IT assets may also be maintained for documentation, reporting and audit purposes.

By leveraging IT Asset Management (ITAM) and deep analytics technologies, IT teams can ensure GDPR compliance and protect their organization from potential data breaches and other security threats. 

The GDPR is only the beginning

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is not the only data protection law that companies must comply with. As global data privacy and security standards continue to evolve, it is important for organizations to ensure their digital environment is compliant with an increasing number of laws. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the US and the Data Privacy Law (DSL) in China both define consumers’ data privacy and require companies to Implement a data classification system. 

As consumers become more powerful in control of what happens to their data, it is important for businesses to earn their trust to retain and retain customers. One way to do this is to have a centralized domain name registry that provides complete visibility and control over your digital application landscape. With the Nixon platform, you can map all your domains and organize them by assigning them to owners and business units, categorize them by CMS or reseller, and receive notifications when the new domain is added to your wallet. The real-time dashboard also provides instant insights into your domain’s performance, compliance, and accessibility. 

In conclusion…

Nixon can greatly assist in the management and maintenance of a company’s digital infrastructure. By using the Nixon platform, companies can not only ensure compliance with data protection regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The Nixon platform offers a wide range of tools and features designed to streamline the management of digital assets. Additionally, the Nixon platform provides valuable insights and analysis that can help businesses optimize their digital infrastructure and make informed decisions about future investments. Overall, adopting the Nixon Platform can significantly improve a company’s ability to effectively manage and maintain its digital infrastructure, and build trust with customers. 

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Tuana Serter
Content Marketer

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