Helping Customers Identify Sensitive Information
United Business Systems, a leading Managed Technology Services Provider (MTSP), announced today the company has expanded their data discovery and classification solutions designed to help customers’ identify sensitive information, reduce unnecessary exposure, and strengthen compliance. As businesses generate more data than ever before, most organizations have lost track of what data they actually have – and who has access to it. United Business Systems is now offering advanced data discovery and classification solutions designed to help organizations regain visibility, reduce risk, and enhance compliance.
The reality for many organizations is simple: data grows quietly over time. Employee and customer names, financial records, medical information, contracts, credentials, and internal communications accumulate across email systems, cloud storage platforms, CRM systems, laptops, SharePoint, OneDrive, Box, Salesforce, and local devices. Yet very few companies pause to ask a critical question: “Do we truly know where our sensitive data lives – and who can see it?”
This lack of organization opens up massive vulnerabilities that are completely unnecessary. “Most users only need about one percent of the permissions they actually are granted,” said John Kerling, Vice President of United Business Systems. “But because data keeps growing and access is rarely reviewed, organizations end up exposing far more to potential threats than they realize.”
Data Classification Begins With Discovery
Identifying which information exists across an organization’s IT environment. From there, it categorizes data by sensitivity level, whether it’s public, internal, confidential, regulated, or highly restricted. This is particularly critical for industries such as healthcare, financial services, government, public safety, and criminal justice – where regulatory oversight is strict and penalties for non-compliance can be severe.
For regulated industries, improper data access can carry significant penalties. For example, under HIPAA regulations, violations can range from relatively minor fines in unavoidable situations to penalties exceeding $1 million in cases of willful negligence. Compliance risk is only part of the equation. These errors often happen unintentionally, as companies prioritize collaboration and efficiency. “The default mindset is to give broad access so work can move quickly. While that’s well-intentioned, it creates unnecessary risk, especially as data continues to grow,” added Vice President Kerling.
If Access Controls Aren’t Structured Properly, Sensitive Information Can Become Searchable
The rise of artificial intelligence tools adds another layer of urgency to this issue. AI tools operate based on existing permissions. So, if an employee has access to sensitive information, AI can surface it instantly. “Even though it may seem efficient to give AI access, do you want your staff to be able to ask AI how much the owner is being compensated?” commented Kerling. If access controls aren’t structured properly, sensitive information can become searchable and visible when it shouldn’t be.
Many organizations treat their most sensitive company data with few guardrails. It’s not about distrust of staff, it’s about responsible protection. Modern data discovery and classification solutions should provide organizations with structured visibility into their environments. The best processes identify where sensitive data resides, evaluates who has access to it, and aligns permissions with regulatory and operational requirements. By applying the Principle of Least Privilege, granting access only to those who truly need it, organizations significantly reduce exposure, while gaining access to the wild improvements that AI can bring.
“Our goal is to give organizations clarity and confidence,” Kerling concluded. “Once you know what data you have and who can access it, you can protect it properly – and that peace of mind is invaluable.”