By Chantal Lavoie, General Manager at Coginov

An integrated document management system that identifies personal and sensitive data is essential for several reasons:

1. Compliance with laws and regulations: Many data protection laws and regulations, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), require organizations to identify and protect personal and sensitive data appropriately. An integrated document management system that enables the identification of such data enables the organization to comply with these legal and regulatory requirements. 
2. Confidentiality and data protection: Personal and sensitive data, such as information on customers, employees, business partners, etc., can be sensitive and require appropriate protection to prevent unauthorized access or misuse. An integrated document management system that identifies such data enables appropriate security measures to be put in place, such as managing access rights, classifying sensitive documents, and monitoring user activities to protect this data from unauthorized access.
3. Risk management: Identifying personal and sensitive data in an integrated document management system enables the organization to better understand the types of data it holds, where it is stored, how it is used, and who has access to it. This makes it possible to better manage the risks associated with data confidentiality and security, to identify any gaps in the protection measures in place, and to take appropriate measures to minimize these risks.
4. Management of consent and data subject rights: An integrated document management system that enables personal data to be identified makes it possible to effectively manage the consents and rights of data subjects, in line with legal and regulatory requirements. This includes the management of consents for the collection, use and retention of personal data, as well as the management of data subjects’ rights of access, rectification, deletion, portability, etc.
5. Managing security incidents and data breaches: By identifying personal and sensitive data in an integrated document management system, the organization is better prepared to manage security incidents and data breaches, should they occur. This enables rapid corrective action to be taken, data subjects and the relevant authorities to be informed, and potential impacts on data confidentiality and security to be minimized.
   
   In short, identifying personal and sensitive data in an integrated document management system is essential to comply with data protection laws and regulations, ensure data confidentiality and security, manage risks, and respect the rights of data subjects.