CSA publication about Cybersecurity & Data Lifecycle

In today’s hyper-connected world, data is the operational core of modern digital enterprises. The Cloud Security Alliance has released a document, “Cybersecurity and the Data Lifecycle,” outlining how organizations must govern, secure, classify, process, and dispose of data throughout its existence.

Core Focus of the Publication:

CSA provides a structured 8-phase model to evaluate and secure the entire data lifecycle:

✅ Create – including input validation, encryption on write, and logging

✅ Store – secure configurations, backups, and access control

✅ Use – access rights, secure processing, isolation, and audit logging

✅ Share – secure APIs, classification enforcement, redaction, policy controls

✅ Archive – long-term encryption, retention governance, access monitoring

✅ Transport – secure transmission protocols, tunneling, and integrity validation

✅ Retain – legal holds, immutability, consent and retention policies

✅ Dispose – verifiable deletion, secure wiping, and disposal certification

The report contains various frameworks:

✅ NIST 800-53, ISO/IEC 27001/2

✅ GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS

✅ COBIT, CSA Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM)

It also includes threat mapping for each stage (e.g., misclassification, shadow IT, stale data, insecure transport) and practical risk mitigation strategies.

We all know data is the bloodstream of every IT system. Without high-quality, trusted data, we can’t transform it into reliable information, and without reliable information, informed decision-making and knowledge building become impossible. This week, I conducted a two-day training session for internal auditors preparing for The Institute of Internal Auditors Inc. CIA exam, focusing specifically on Part 3, which covers IT and security. One of the key areas we explored was data governance and data management—a foundational topic that often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. While concepts like data quality, availability, trustworthiness, confidentiality, and integrity are second nature to IT professionals, they’re sometimes underestimated in audit, risk, and compliance roles. That’s why this CSA publication is so valuable—it explains data not only for IT but also for audit, compliance, and risk professionals. The focus on data classification, integrity, availability, retention, and safe disposal helps everyone align cybersecurity with operational outcomes.

Access the publication

Author: Sebastian Burgemejster