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Data Classification & Protection

Data Classification & Protection · Strategy & governance

Decide what is sensitive. Then protect it accordingly.

We assess the sensitive data you hold, write the classification framework and policies that govern it, and agree the access controls, encryption and training each level needs, so protection follows the value of the data.

6 steps

Assessment to staff training

PII · financial · IP

Sensitive data types in scope

Full lifecycle

Handled, transmitted and stored

Row of brass safe-deposit boxes in a dark vault, one door ajar showing a single folded document

Why it matters

Treat every file as secret and nothing is.

Spend controls where they count

Classification shows which records carry real risk, so encryption and strict access go to sensitive data instead of being spread thinly everywhere.

Regulators ask where data lives

Privacy and data rules expect you to know what personal data you hold and how it is protected. A classified estate lets you answer with evidence.

People make the difference

Clear labels and short training tell each employee how to handle, send and store a document, so safe handling becomes habit rather than guesswork.

How we deliver

Assess, classify, protect. In that order.

Our approach is tailored to each client. It starts with what you hold and ends with controls your staff use every day.

Data protection assessment

We review the data you hold, where it sits and who can reach it, and measure current protection against your needs.

Classification framework

Sensitivity levels, labelling rules and handling requirements written for your organisation and the rules it answers to.

Data classification

We apply the framework to your data assets, so each type of record carries the right label and a named owner.

Protection strategy

Recommendations on access controls, encryption and policies, matched to each sensitivity level and agreed with leadership.

Implementation

We work with your teams to update policies and procedures and put access controls in place across the systems in scope.

Training & communication

Staff learn their part in protecting sensitive data, with guidance on handling, transmitting and storing it securely.

Scope and deliverables

Assess the data, set the classification framework, then protect it with controls and people.

Expected outcomes: a clear inventory of your sensitive data, protection matched to each sensitivity level, and more consistent handling by staff.

01 · Assess

Data assessment

Map of where sensitive data lives

Personal data (PII) in scope

Financial records in scope

Intellectual property and trade secrets

Gaps in current handling and protection

02 · Govern

Classification framework

Classification framework document

Sensitivity tiers with a labelling scheme

Data assets classified, each with an owner

Handling rules per tier

03 · Protect

Controls and people

Access control model tied to each tier

Encryption recommendations

Updated data protection policies

Staff training and communication plan

Track record

Data protection work for public and financial bodies.

Public sector · KSA · 2025

Information protection programme for a Saudi public body

Central Bank of Jordan · March 2025

Certified Information Handling Essentials training

PDPL workshop · Amman · 2025

Hands-on PDPL compliance workshop for institutions

IT Security C&T · ISO 27001

Our own information sits inside a certified ISMS

Govern your data rules inside ExceedGRC.

A classification policy only works if it is enforced and reviewed. ExceedGRC holds your data policies next to the risks they treat, scores those risks live and tracks each mitigation, so auditors receive one audit-ready report instead of scattered files.

Related services

Classification is step one. Keep the protection going.

Labels guide tools, suppliers and audits. These services carry the work further.

Data Classification Solution

The technology side of classification: tooling that applies your labels consistently across systems and users.

Explore the solution

Third-Party Risk Management

Make sure suppliers who touch your classified data protect it to the same level you do.

Explore TPRM

Compliance

Turn your classified estate into evidence for NDMO, GDPR, ISO 27701 and other data protection rules.

Explore compliance

Information Security Management

Fold classification into an ISO 27001 ISMS with asset owners, risk treatment and regular audits.

Explore ISO 27001

FAQ

Data classification, in plain language.

What data owners and privacy leads ask us first.

Who decides how sensitive a document is?

Data owners, guided by the framework. We define owners and clear criteria for each level while developing the framework, so decisions are consistent across departments instead of resting on individual judgement.

Is this a consulting project or a software rollout?

A consulting project. We assess, design the framework, classify, update policies, set access controls and train staff. If tooling would help afterwards, our data classification solution covers that separately.

Which data gets protected first?

The data that would hurt most if exposed: personally identifiable information, financial information, intellectual property and trade secrets. The framework then extends to everything else you create and store.

Will this support our PDPL obligations?

Yes. The PDPL and similar privacy laws require you to account for the personal data you process and to protect it properly. Classification produces that inventory and the controls to match, which feeds your wider compliance work.

How involved will our departments need to be?

Mostly time from data owners in each department for interviews and reviews, plus a sponsor who can approve the framework. We carry the assessment, drafting and training preparation, so daily work continues.

Protect what matters most

Tell us what you hold. We'll help you rank and protect it.

Share the kinds of data you handle and the rules you face, and a data protection consultant will propose a scoped assessment.

Describe the data you hold and where it lives

A data protection consultant assesses your context

A scoped data assessment proposal follows

Thanks for the detail. A data protection consultant will reply to scope the assessment.