As data cements its role as a strategic asset, managing it responsibly is no longer a backend IT concern. Enterprises that embed hygiene practices today will not just mitigate risk; they will future-proof their ability to innovate, compete, and scale, built on a foundation of secure, high-capacity, and resilient storage systems, says Mohammed Owais at Western Digital.
In an era where data is generated at an unprecedented pace, enterprises are inundated with information from various sources – customer interactions, IoT devices, AI-generated outputs, and more. While leveraging this data can offer competitive advantages, the challenge lies in managing it effectively.
Digital data hygiene – the practice of maintaining the cleanliness, accuracy, relevance, and security of data throughout its lifecycle – has become a cornerstone of resilient data strategies, yet it remains one of the most overlooked disciplines in enterprise IT.
Globally, data creation is projected to reach 394 zettabytes by 2028, nearly tripling the amount generated in 2023. The Middle East mirrors this trend, with the region’s data centre market expected to grow from US$5.57 billion in 2023 to US$9.61 billion by 2029, at a compound annual growth rate, CAGR of 9.52% .
This surge, fuelled by digital transformation, smart city projects, and increased cloud adoption, demands robust data management practices underpinned by scalable, high-capacity storage infrastructure to ensure the integrity and security of the vast volumes of data being generated.
However, not all data is created equal, nor should it be stored indiscriminately. Legacy systems, unstructured repositories, mismanaged cloud storage, and duplicated files contribute to data bloat, creating challenges for the IT infrastructure, inflating costs, and impeding decision-making processes.
Poor data hygiene extends beyond operational inefficiencies; it poses significant risks to trust, security, and compliance. Regulations like the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR can require clear documentation on data storage, processing, and deletion.
In the Middle East, data localisation laws are becoming more prevalent, potentially requiring organisations to store data within national borders, thereby increasing the complexity of data management.
Cybersecurity is another critical concern. Mismanaged or orphaned data becomes a soft target for threat actors. Files stored without proper encryption or in unmonitored locations represent points of exposure, especially in sectors like healthcare, finance, and logistics, where sensitive information is frequently transferred between systems.
This reinforces the critical role of dependable, high-capacity storage infrastructure in maintaining long-term data integrity and operational continuity.
Furthermore, with the increasing adoption of AI, clean data has never been more important. AI models are trained on large data sets and the validity of the insights gained depends on the quality of the input data. Inaccurate, irrelevant, or biased data, however, can compromise model performance.
AI systems generate new data that is often fed back into training datasets, creating a compounding effect. By having no or little hygiene practices in place, enterprises risk unintended consequences in their AI decision-making. Putting an appropriate IT infrastructure in place allows businesses to handle increasing demands of AI at scale and overcome this challenge.
Establishing a clean data environment requires a continuous strategy encompassing processes, culture, and tools. It also reinforces the critical role of dependable, high-capacity storage infrastructure in maintaining long-term data integrity and operational continuity.
Key pillars include:
Data classification
Tag data upon creation with metadata indicating sensitivity, relevance, and lifecycle status.
Comprehensive encryption
Implement encryption from data creation through transit to decommissioning, ensuring protection throughout the data lifecycle.
Purposeful redundancy
Adhere to a 3-2-1 backup strategy – three copies of data, two formats, one offsite while automating regular backup tests to prevent silent data corruption.
Lifecycle management
Categorise data based on usage frequency and align storage solutions, accordingly, optimising for cost and energy efficiency.
Regular audits
Conduct routine audits to identify duplicates, stale files, or unauthorised access points, and securely erase data that no longer serves a purpose.
Hygiene metrics
Track indicators like storage utilisation, duplicate data ratios, and data access patterns to inform ongoing strategies.
Culture of responsibility
Educate all departments on data stewardship principles, emphasising that data hygiene is a collective responsibility.
Digital hygiene
Prioritising digital data hygiene yields tangible, enterprise-wide benefits – from leaner infrastructure and reduced cybersecurity exposure to faster, more accurate decision-making. In a region like the Middle East, where digital initiatives are accelerating and data sovereignty is increasingly mandated, safeguarding data integrity is not optional, it is foundational to sustainable growth.
As data cements its role as a strategic asset, managing it responsibly is no longer a backend IT concern, it is a boardroom imperative. Enterprises that embed hygiene practices today will not just mitigate risk; they will future-proof their ability to innovate, compete, and scale built on a foundation of secure, high-capacity, and resilient storage systems essential for the data-driven economy of tomorrow.
