To reduce security risk associated with data sprawl, MPW needed to address the significant challenges related to its data management practices. Founded in 1972 as a mobile power washing business, MPW Industrial Services has become one of North America’s largest diversified industrial services companies. With services including industrial water purification, industrial cleaning, engineering, and fabrication, MPW operates with over 3,700 employees across 50+ locations. Over 29 years, they accumulated a vast amount of employee master data, far exceeding their retention policy requirements. This data sprawl presented both security risks and operational inefficiencies.

MPW faced significant security challenges related to its data management practices. Over 29 years, they accumulated a vast amount of employee master data, far exceeding their retention policy requirements. This data sprawl presented both security risks and operational inefficiencies.

To address these challenges, MPW partnered with Essentio, a solutions provider for managing and accessing data, including archiving, divestiture, and data extraction. Essentio Archivist was selected for its robust features to enhance data security and compliance.

Key Takeaways

  1. Data Security Enhancement: The implementation of Essentio Archivist significantly improved MPW’s data security by encrypting sensitive information, tightening access controls, and securely purging outdated records.
  2. Regulatory Compliance: MPW successfully met regulatory requirements by purging data older than seven years and archiving data older than four years, aligning with industry standards and best practices.
  3. Operational Efficiency: The streamlined data management process led to faster data searches, improved system performance, and reduced data refresh times between environments.
  4. Stakeholder Management: MPW overcame initial resistance from stakeholders by conducting thorough testing and validation, ensuring that the new system did not disrupt existing operations or compromise data integrity.
  5. Quantitative Success: The project led to the removal of over 77% of employee master records, with significant improvements in data management and security outcomes.

The Problem

MPW had 29 years of employee master data, amounting to over 61,000 employee records in their JD Edwards (JDE) system. This extensive data set included sensitive information such as Social Security Numbers (SSNs), which were stored in multiple tables throughout the JDE environment. The sheer volume and age of the data exposed MPW to several security risks.

Types of Data at Risk

The primary types of data at risk include:

  • Employee master records
  • Payroll data
  • HR and benefits information
  • Address book data related to employees

While specific instances of security breaches were not disclosed, the presence of outdated and redundant data significantly increased the potential for unauthorized access, data leaks, and cyber incidents.

MPW’s data retention practices did not align with regulatory requirements, which mandate purging data older than seven years. Retaining data beyond this period not only increased security risks but also posed compliance challenges.

Solution: Essentio Archivist

Essentio Archivist is designed to manage and secure large datasets by providing solutions for data archiving, retention, and deletion. Its key features relevant to security risk reduction include data encryption, access controls, audit trails, and robust data retention policies.

Key Features of Essentio Archivist Relevant to Reduce Security Risk 

  • Data encryption: Ensures that all sensitive data is encrypted, protecting it from unauthorized access.
  • Access controls: Provides granular access controls to restrict who can view and modify data.
  • Audit trails: Maintains detailed logs of data access and modifications, supporting accountability and traceability.
  • Data retention and deletion policies: Automates the process of archiving and purging data according to predefined retention policies.

Implementation Process Undertaken to Reduce Security Risk

MPW and Essentio collaborated to plan the implementation, focusing on understanding MPW’s existing data architecture and security needs. The preparation phase involved defining the scope of data to be archived and purged.

Steps Taken to Implement Essentio Archivist and Reduce Security Risk at MPW

  1. Integration with existing systems: Essentio Archivist was integrated with MPW’s JDE environment, ensuring seamless data management across the enterprise.
  2. Data migration process: Data older than seven years was purged, and data older than four years was archived. The process included removing employee transaction data before purging master records to maintain data integrity.
  3. Timeline of the implementation: The phased implementation began in 2021, to reduce the data footprint while maintaining operational efficiency.

Benefits Realized

  • Improved data security

By implementing Essentio Archivist, MPW significantly enhanced its data security posture. Sensitive data was encrypted, access controls were tightened, and outdated records were securely purged.

  • Reduction in security breaches

The reduction in data volume and improved security measures helped minimize the risk of security breaches and unauthorized data access.

  • Enhanced protection of sensitive information

Essentio’s features ensured that sensitive employee information, such as SSNs, was adequately protected, reducing the risk of data leaks.

  • Compliance with regulatory requirements

MPW achieved compliance with data retention regulations by purging data older than seven years and archiving data older than four years.

  • Meeting industry standards and regulations

The implementation helped MPW align with industry standards and best practices for data management and security.

Operational efficiencies

The streamlined data management processes resulted in:

  • Faster data searches and report generation
  • Improved system performance
  • Reduced data refresh times between environments

Challenges and How They Were Overcome to Reduce Security Risk

MPW faced initial resistance from stakeholders concerned about data integrity and the potential disruption to business operations. To address these concerns, MPW and Essentio conducted thorough testing and validation. They demonstrated that Essentio’s predefined templates and database-level operations ensured data integrity without disrupting existing reports or business intelligence tools.

Customization and configuration of the solution

Essentio Archivist was customized to fit MPW’s specific needs, including integrating with non-JDE data and maintaining consistent table names across production and archive environments.

Results and Outcomes

Quantitative and qualitative results

The implementation of Essentio Archivist yielded impressive results:

  • Over 77% of employee master records were removed, with 38,840 records purged and 8,868 archived.
  • Approximately 80 tables were impacted, with over 95 million records archived and over 65 million records purged.

MPW’s security posture improved significantly, evidenced by the reduction in the volume of sensitive data and enhanced access controls. For example, the process of searching for employee records became significantly faster, reducing the time required to generate reports and improving overall system performance.

Broader Implications: The Importance of Data Management to Reduce Security Risk

The challenges faced by MPW Industrial Services are not unique; many businesses encounter significant risks by retaining ex-employee data. As discussed in Risks of Retaining Ex-Employee Data: Mitigation Strategies for Businesses, holding onto outdated employee records can expose companies to identity theft, financial fraud, and compliance issues. MPW’s experience underscores the necessity of implementing strong data retention policies and practices to mitigate these risks.

Conclusion

Essentio Archivist played a crucial role in reducing MPW’s security risk by securely purging outdated data, enhancing the protection of sensitive information, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. MPW plans to continue leveraging Essentio’s solutions for ongoing data management and to further enhance its security measures. They aim to maintain a proactive approach to data security and compliance, ensuring their systems remain robust and efficient.