Data Owners, Data Controllers, Data Processors

Data ownership roles are essential in managing and protecting data within an organization. Each role has specific responsibilities and authority regarding data handling. Here are the primary data ownership roles and their descriptions:

1. Data Owners:

Role: Data Owners are individuals or entities that have ultimate authority over the data. They are responsible for the data’s accuracy, integrity, and security.

Responsibilities:

• Defining data classification and access policies.

• Ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

• Approving access requests and overseeing data usage.

• Making decisions about data retention and disposal.

Examples:

• A department head responsible for their department’s data.

• An executive who owns a company’s financial data.

2. Data Controllers:

Role: Data Controllers are responsible for determining the purposes and means of processing personal data. They have significant control over how and why data is processed.

Responsibilities:

• Ensuring data is processed in compliance with relevant data protection laws (e.g., GDPR).

• Deciding what data is collected, the purpose of processing, and how it is managed.

• Implementing appropriate data protection measures.

• Handling data subject requests, such as access or deletion requests.

Examples:

• A company that collects and uses customer data for marketing purposes.

• An organization that manages employee data for HR purposes.

3. Data Processors:

Role: Data Processors process data on behalf of the Data Controller. They do not own the data and only process it according to the controller’s instructions.

Responsibilities:

• Processing data in accordance with the Data Controller’s instructions.

• Implementing appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect data.

• Assisting the Data Controller in complying with data protection obligations.

• Not engaging sub-processors without prior authorization from the Data Controller.

Examples:

• A cloud service provider that hosts data for a client.

• A third-party payroll company that processes employee salaries on behalf of another company.

Summary:

• Data Owners: Ultimate authority over the data, responsible for defining policies, ensuring compliance, and making decisions about data access and retention.

• Data Controllers: Determine the purposes and means of data processing, ensuring compliance with data protection laws, and managing data protection measures.

• Data Processors: Process data on behalf of the Data Controller, following their instructions and implementing protective measures.

Understanding these roles helps ensure that data is managed properly, protecting its integrity and confidentiality while complying with relevant laws and regulations.

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• Data Ownership

  • Process of identifying the individual responsible for maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, availability, and privacy of information assets

  • Data Owner

    • A senior executive responsible for labeling information assets and ensuring they are protected with appropriate controls

  • Data Controller

    • Entity responsible for determining data storage, collection, and usage purposes and methods, as well as ensuring the legality of these processes

  • Data Processor

    • A group or individual hired by the data controller to assist with tasks like data collection and processing

  • Data Steward

    • Focuses on data quality and metadata, ensuring data is appropriately labeled and classified, often working under the data owner

  • Data Custodian

    • Responsible for managing the systems on which data assets are stored, including enforcing access controls, encryption, and backup measures

  • Privacy Officer

    • Oversees privacy-related data, such as personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive personal information (SPI), or protected health information (PHI), ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory frameworks

  • Data Ownership Responsibility

    • The IT department (CIO or IT personnel) should not be the data owner; data

owners should be individuals from the business side who understand the data's content and can make informed decisions about classification

• Selection of Data Owners

  • Data owners should be designated within their respective departments based on their knowledge of the data and its significance within the organization

  • Note: Proper data ownership is essential for maintaining data security, compliance, and effective data management within an organization. Different roles contribute to safeguarding and managing data appropriately

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Data owner The data owner is accountable for specific data, so this person is often a senior officer of the organization.

Data controller A data controller manages the processing of the data. For example, a payroll department would be a data controller, and a payroll servicing company would be the data processor.

C. Data steward The data steward manages access rights to the data. In this example, the IT team would be the data steward.

D. Data processor The data processor is often a third-party that processes data on behalf of the data controller