Cybersecurity Governance and Ethics

Data governance is the specification of decision rights and an accountability framework to ensure the appropriate behavior in the valuation, creation, consumption, and control of data and analytics (Gartner, 2024). It refers to the exercise of authority and control over the management of data. Data governance aims to increase data value and minimize data-related costs and risks. In the healthcare context, it is a collection of procedures and plans that ensure the availability, integrity, security, and usability of the structured and unstructured data available to the healthcare organization. The best data governance practice outlines the healthcare data governance framework, guiding principles, organization-wide applications, and best practices. It is not a new topic, but it is still challenging for many healthcare organizations to implement and achieve (Oachs, 2020). Healthcare data governance includes the people, processes, and systems used to manage data throughout the lifecycle. Figure 9.1 shows the data governance lifecycle of a healthcare organization (AHIMA, 2022). The data lifecycle includes creation, process, use, storage/archival, or disposal. It also involves defining policies and procedures for data retention, archival, and disposal following regulatory requirements.