One of the most important things you can do as a leader when trying to implement change is to measure the impact of that change through key performance indicators (KPI). While organizations have spent years tuning financial KPIs and even security KPIs (e.g., risk), not much discussion has been had about KPIs to measure Secure Data Collaboration. We are proposing four KPIs that would allow organizations to understand the effectiveness and adoption of Secure Data Collaboration.One of the biggest challenges with KPIs is that there is no shortage of data. We were recently reminded of this by an information security and collaboration leader who often must report to executives that:
“the KPI should show me what we want users to be doing more of and the kind of behavior we are trying to change.”
With that guidance in mind, these are the four KPIs that we propose to measure Secure Data Collaboration.
KPI #1: Are we keeping sensitive information in our control?
The metric: Measures the percentage of files downloaded from a trusted file share (e.g. SharePoint) when shared externally, based on the data’s sensitivity.With Secure Data Collaboration sitting at the center of security and collaboration, we believe it is essential that organizations understand whether they maintain control over their most sensitive information. While some organizations may want to block all downloads, that kind of control may not meet the needs of the business. We recommend having visibility on whether your most sensitive data (e.g., labeled as “Restricted”) stays in your control. This course of action allows organizations to meet the business need to share sensitive information with external parties.
KPI#2: Are our users using Microsoft 365 for external collaboration?
The metric: Measures the number of share creators as well as internal and external users actively collaborating within Microsoft 365.Organizations are making significant investments in selecting Microsoft 365 (M365) as their platform for modern collaboration. However, some companies only use M365 internally while relying on point solutions for external file sharing, thereby missing out on the additional return of their M365 investment. Therefore, measuring how much your modern collaboration platform is being used to collaborate externally will provide great insight into how much return you are getting on your overall investment. If you are concerned about turning on external sharing or guest access in Microsoft 365, then feel free to give us a call, we can address the underlying security, privacy and compliance concerns 😊.
KPI #3: What type of data is being shared with external collaborators?
The metric: Measures files shared by the sensitivity-level with external recipients.One of the challenges that information security often faces is reporting on a KPI that is easy to understand. We recommend a data classification strategy that be easily consumed by anyone (red = highly sensitive, orange more sensitive, yellow = somewhat sensitive, green = not sensitive). The goal of Secure Data Collaboration is to allow sensitive information to still be exchanged with external collaborators. As a result, this metric does not aim to sound a fire alarm if highly sensitive data is shared externally. Its purpose is to bring awareness to executives of potential exposure. Many industries have extremely tight rules around what type of data can be shared externally (e.g., Aerospace and Defense – ITAR); however, you still need to share data and collaborate with external parties. Better understanding the potential exposure allows companies to implement appropriate controls to enable Secure Data Collaboration policies.
KPI #4: What is our overall level of engagement with external parties? (customers, partners, suppliers)
The metric: Measures the type of file activity when information is shared. No file activity by the user would represent low engagement, file views by the user would be classified as a medium level of engagement and file opens and uploads by the user would be deemed as a higher level of engagement.Implementing a KPI dashboard will generate reams of data about the file-sharing activities of your customers. Analyzing this data will allow you to gain better insights into whether your customers are actively engaged with your organization and their potential revenue.
Bringing it all together
We would love to hear your feedback about the KPIs we are proposing in this Secure Data Collaboration dashboard. Please share any other ideas that you think could help effectively measure Secure Data Collaboration. If you would like more information on how to get access to these kinds of metrics, please feel free to reach out and we would be happy to walk you through it. Below is what a sample KPI dashboard could look like as a slide to report back up to your executives.
