What is the greatest risk of inadequate policy definition for ownership of data and systems?

The greatest risk of inadequate policy definition for ownership of data and systems lies in the potential for unauthorized users to access and modify data. When ownership of data and systems is not clearly defined, it creates ambiguity regarding who is responsible for protecting that information. This lack of clarity can lead to situations where individuals without the necessary permissions gain access to sensitive data, either intentionally or unintentionally.

When there is no formal policy outlining data ownership, it becomes challenging to enforce security measures that restrict access based on user roles. Consequently, unauthorized users could exploit this gap, jeopardizing the integrity and confidentiality of the data. This scenario not only poses a risk to the organization’s information security posture but also increases the likelihood of data breaches, data loss, and compliance violations.

In contrast, while the other concerns, like user management coordination and specific user accountability, are indeed significant, they do not directly address the immediate threat posed by unauthorized access and modifications. Similarly, although audit recommendations are important for overall governance, the primary risk emerges from the potential for data manipulation by users lacking proper authorization. Thus, the crucial aspect of inadequate policy definition centers around the safeguarding of data against unauthorized modifications.