Information governance (IG) is the process of managing information assets. It requires implementing policies, procedures and technologies that balance ease of use with security.

Gartner’s definition of IG is the most widely accepted. It defines information governance as “the specification of decision rights and an accountability framework to ensure appropriate behavior in the valuation, creation, storage, use, archiving and deletion of information. It includes the processes, roles and policies, standards and metrics that ensure the effective and efficient use of information in enabling an organization to achieve its goals.”

Information governance processes manage the use of information records, including employees’ records, customer information, patients’ medical records and intellectual property. The company’s IG professionals should work with leadership and other stakeholders to create policies that specify how employees should handle corporate information assets.