In this episode, host Ward Balcerzak sits down with Jennifer Fite, Principal Consultant on the Data Risk Management team at Trace3, to unpack the real-world challenges organizations face when trying to protect sensitive data in today’s cloud-first, integration-heavy environments.
Jen shares why supply chain breaches have become one of the fastest-growing data security threats and why focusing solely on AI misses the bigger picture. As organizations move from on-prem infrastructure to sprawling cloud ecosystems, security teams are losing visibility into where data lives, who’s accessing it, and how it’s being used. Jen emphasizes a recurring theme: data security is contextual, not binary. Unlike traditional security controls, protecting data requires understanding business intent, user behavior, and downstream data usage, all of which can change over time.
Takeaways:
Harden Internal Data Security Practices: Focus on protecting data at rest, minimizing unnecessary data proliferation, and ensuring robust internal controls regardless of external integrations.
Implement User Behavior Analytics: Establish monitoring to understand normal user behavior and detect anomalies. This helps identify potential breaches, especially when attackers use legitimate credentials.
Know Your Data Estate: Maintain visibility into where sensitive data is stored, who has access, and how it is used. Regularly update your data inventory and access controls.
Establish Data Ownership and Accountability: Assign clear data owners who understand and can authorize access and usage. Ensure business justification for all data access and regularly review permissions.
Start with Immediate, Practical Steps: If resources are limited, address the most critical gaps first (e.g., implement basic classification and access policies), then build toward a more comprehensive data security program.
Regularly Review and Adjust Access: Continuously re-evaluate who has access to what data, ensuring permissions are still necessary and appropriate, and remove access when it is no longer needed.
“ I don't wanna say no, but because it depends, I have to sit with that person and understand what they're doing so we can create the safe right way to do that thing.” - Jennifer Fite
Connect with Jennifer:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenfitephd/
Website: https://www.trace3.com/
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