Cato-Data Loss Prevention

How Do You Measure the Value of Data?

A modern enterprise’s most valuable asset is its data. A recent study of S&P 500 companies
showed that intangible assets constitute 90% of their total value. Be it intellectual property
such as source code or blueprints, sensitive business information such as financial metrics or
customer data, or sensitive personal information such as Personally Identifiable Information
(PII) or Personal Health Information (PHI) of employees or customers—their combined value
far exceeds that of the company’s physical assets. If sensitive enterprise information were
to reach the wrong hands, it could have devastating implications for the victim organization’s
business, leading also to damaged reputation and exposure to legal action.

Protecting sensitive corporate information is also often required for regulatory compliance
such as the Payment Card Industry (PCI) data security standard or the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Acts (HIPAA).