--- title: "Privacy-Enhanced Data Sharing: How to Drive Business Growth by Protecting Your Data" description: Enterprise data can also be incredibly valuable to rival companies, nation states and cybercriminals. That means organizations need to be aware of the risks posed by data sharing. image: https://insights.comforte.com/hubfs/comforte%20AG_Privacy%20Enhanced%20Data%20Sharing_%20How%20to%20Drive%20Business%20Growth%20by%20Protecting%20Your%20Data%20_04.07.png --- [![Hubspot_blog_logo](https://insights.comforte.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hubspot_blog_logo.png?width=295&name=Hubspot_blog_logo.png)](http://www.comforte.com) [![Subscribe](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4026697/ba125972-4bdc-4e47-b9a9-81df496120a0.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4026697/ba125972-4bdc-4e47-b9a9-81df496120a0) [![comforte AG - Privacy-Enhanced Data Sharing: How to Drive Business Growth by Protecting Your Data](https://insights.comforte.com/hubfs/comforte%20AG_Privacy%20Enhanced%20Data%20Sharing_%20How%20to%20Drive%20Business%20Growth%20by%20Protecting%20Your%20Data%20_04.07.png)](https://insights.comforte.com/privacy-enhanced-data-sharing-how-to-drive-business-growth-by-protecting-your-data) [Mirza Salihagic](https://insights.comforte.com/author/mirza-salihagic) l Jul 4, 2024 l [Data Protection](https://insights.comforte.com/tag/data-protection), [Big Data Analytics](https://insights.comforte.com/tag/big-data-analytics) # Privacy-Enhanced Data Sharing: How to Drive Business Growth by Protecting Your Data If data is the new oil, then organizations will get little benefit from hoarding it. They need to share it between individuals, departments, organizations and/or systems to improve decision making and drive growth. But there are risks. To avoid major financial, reputational and legal repercussions, these same enterprises need to build “secure pipelines” down which that data can travel. ## Why data sharing matters We live in a hyper-connected world. Data supply chains extend across the planet, from the smallest business to the largest enterprise. In this context, there are few organizations that would actively seek to restrict the flow of all of their data. It can help improve the customer experience, reduce fraud, streamline operations and much more. Consider a healthcare provider sharing patient records to another provider to ensure they get the best treatment. Or a bank sharing customer info with a credit agency to speed up approvals for a new line of credit. Non-profit the [Open Data Institute lists](https://theodi.org/news-and-events/blog/seven-reasons-why-businesses-should-be-sharing-data/) several reasons businesses might want to boost data sharing practices, including: **Innovation:** Collaborating with third parties to explore new technologies and glean new insights. **Market reach:** Sharing information on the organization’s services with prospective customers, to build awareness and grow the business. **Benchmarking:** Sharing data with trusted intermediaries to compare key metrics with peers in the same industry. **Regulatory mandates:** Sometimes regulations require data sharing, such as open banking rules. **Supply chain optimization:** Improving data access for partners and suppliers can boost efficiencies, reduce operational costs, enhance sustainability initiatives and build trust. **Tackling industry-wide challenges:** Sometimes there’s a shared interest in exchanging data, such as cyber-threat intelligence, which can benefit all parties. **Data-driven insight:** The benefits of AI-powered analytics are now well understood. Unlocking data from organizational silos and ensuring it is shared with these systems can open the door to tremendous insight, with which better business decisions can be made. ## The risks of data sharing However, enterprise data can also be incredibly valuable to rival companies, nation states and cybercriminals. That means organizations need to be aware of the risks posed by data sharing. They include: **Data breaches:** It could take just one ill-advised click on a phishing link by a single employee to give hackers access to critical enterprise data stores. Often it is a supply chain partner that is targeted, as they may have fewer safeguards in place. In May 2024, the UK’s Ministry of Defence [revealed](https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/05/mod-data-breach-shows-supply-chain-security-continues-be-top-priority) a massive state-backed cyber-espionage operation targeting a payroll contractor. It led to the compromise of details on over 270,000 service personnel. **Data leaks:** Sometimes data is accidentally exposed to the public, such as a misconfigured cloud infrastructure account, or a misdirected email. **Compliance risk:** In order to improve standards of data handling, security and privacy, regulations like the GDPR in Europe, California’s CCPA, and industry rules like HIPAA in the US enforce strict requirements around secure data sharing. Major financial penalties and reputational damage could result from non-compliance. ## Best practices for privacy-enhanced data sharing To mitigate the above risks whilst supporting important data sharing initiatives, consider the following steps: **Data discovery and classification:** The first step is understanding what the organization holds and where it is stored. This will need to be a continuous process, given the dynamism of modern data environments. **Apply strong protection:** Use privacy-enhancing tools such as encryption, tokenization and differential privacy to ensure that, even if it is accessed by a malicious third party, data remains secure. Solutions which enable the data to be used in analytics and other scenarios whilst remaining secure (ie tokenization) are preferred. **Access controls:** Ensure access to data is managed with a “least privilege” policy, according to role, supported by multi-factor authentication. **Continuous monitoring and auditing:** Deploy detailed logging and alerts to quickly detect any digital break-ins and contain the threat before it can impact the organization. **Data governance:** Build a comprehensive program to ensure regulatory compliance and continuous staff awareness training. [Comforte’s Data Security Platform](https://www.comforte.com/data-security) offers AI-powered data discovery and classification, and tokenization as a protection method. This substitutes real data with a non-sensitive “token” – enabling organizations to benefit from AI analytics without exposing themselves to extra risk. With comforte in place, organizations can: - Accelerate AI analytics projects for improved decision making and innovation - Secure data sharing processes and collaboration for multiple business benefits - Mitigate significant financial and reputational risk stemming from data theft - Minimize the management/cost burden of data protection regulatory compliance and eliminate the risk of enforcement action/non-compliance | Share this:  | [![LinkedIn](https://insights.comforte.com/hubfs/Social%20Icons/linkedin%20icon.png)](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://insights.comforte.com/privacy-enhanced-data-sharing-how-to-drive-business-growth-by-protecting-your-data&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin) | [![Bluesky](https://insights.comforte.com/hubfs/Social%20Icons/bluesky_logo.png)](https://bsky.app/intent/compose?url=https://insights.comforte.com/privacy-enhanced-data-sharing-how-to-drive-business-growth-by-protecting-your-data&utm_medium=social&utm_source=Bluesky) | ![Twitter](https://insights.comforte.com/hubfs/Social%20Icons/twitter_x_logo-1.png) | [![XING](https://insights.comforte.com/hubfs/Social%20Icons/xing-color2.png)](https://www.xing.com/spi/shares/new?url=https://insights.comforte.com/privacy-enhanced-data-sharing-how-to-drive-business-growth-by-protecting-your-data&utm_medium=social&utm_source=xing) | [![Email](https://insights.comforte.com/hubfs/Social%20Icons/email%20icon.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https://insights.comforte.com/privacy-enhanced-data-sharing-how-to-drive-business-growth-by-protecting-your-data&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email%20&body=Check%20out%20https://insights.comforte.com/privacy-enhanced-data-sharing-how-to-drive-business-growth-by-protecting-your-data&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ## Learn how to discover, classify, and protect all sensitive data. Click the button below to download the solution brief for our Data Security Platform: [![Download Solution Brief](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4026697/65e094b1-44ae-496e-be17-1678a1876675.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4026697/65e094b1-44ae-496e-be17-1678a1876675) ### Related posts ![Reuse, Reward: How Banks Can Safely Unlock the Value of Their Data](https://insights.comforte.com/hubfs/comforte%20AG_%20Reuse%20Reward_%20How%20Banks%20Can%20Safely%20Unlock%20the%20Value%20of%20Their%20Data_03.2025.png) Mar 12, 2026 l [Data Protection](https://insights.comforte.com/tag/data-protection) , [Payments Transformation](https://insights.comforte.com/tag/payments-transformation) , [Business Value](https://insights.comforte.com/tag/business-value) ### [Reuse, Reward: How Banks Can Safely Unlock the Value of Their Data](https://insights.comforte.com/reuse-reward-how-banks-can-safely-unlock-the-value-of-their-data?hsLang=en) The financial world is awash with data. But too few organizations are able to use it effectively. In [Bank Director’s *2025 Technology Survey*](https://www.bankdirector.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025TechReport-OpenVersion.pdf), one-third of US banking leaders cite an inability to harness data as a top technology challenge facing their... [Read more](https://insights.comforte.com/reuse-reward-how-banks-can-safely-unlock-the-value-of-their-data?hsLang=en) ![Delivering a Secure, Trusted Foundation for Cloud Growth at LGT](https://insights.comforte.com/hubfs/comforte%20AG_Delivering%20a%20Secure%2c%20Trusted%20Foundation%20for%20Cloud%20Growth%20at%20LGT_01.2026.png) Jan 15, 2026 l [Data Protection](https://insights.comforte.com/tag/data-protection) , [Business Value](https://insights.comforte.com/tag/business-value) ### [Delivering a Secure, Trusted Foundation for Cloud Growth at LGT](https://insights.comforte.com/delivering-a-secure-trusted-foundation-for-cloud-growth-at-lgt?hsLang=en) There’s a world of difference between retail and private banking. While the former is transactional and focused on the mass market, the latter is built on trust and personal relationships. That trust can be hard won, but is easily lost, especially... [Read more](https://insights.comforte.com/delivering-a-secure-trusted-foundation-for-cloud-growth-at-lgt?hsLang=en) ![Top Indicators You Have a Cybersecurity Problem—and What to Do About It](https://insights.comforte.com/hubfs/comforte%20AG_Top%20Indicators%20You%20Have%20a%20Cybersecurity%20Problem_and%20What%20to%20Do%20About%20It.png) May 22, 2025 l [Data Protection](https://insights.comforte.com/tag/data-protection) , [Digital Enablement](https://insights.comforte.com/tag/digital-enablement) ### [Top Indicators You Have a Cybersecurity Problem—and What to Do About It](https://insights.comforte.com/top-indicators-you-have-a-cybersecurity-problem-and-what-to-do-about-it?hsLang=en) Data is both blessing and curse to the modern enterprise. Yes, when analyzed effectively it can surface intelligence to improve decision making, customer engagement, process efficiency and, ultimately, drive revenue. But it also represents a major... [Read more](https://insights.comforte.com/top-indicators-you-have-a-cybersecurity-problem-and-what-to-do-about-it?hsLang=en) ### Service - [Contact](https://www.comforte.com/contact/) - [About us](https://www.comforte.com/company/) - [Blog](https://insights.comforte.com/) - [Press Releases](https://www.comforte.com/company/press-releases/) - [Career](https://www.comforte.com/company/career/) - [Resources](https://www.comforte.com/resources/) ### Germany comforte AG Abraham-Lincoln-Str. 22 65189 Wiesbaden Germany Phone: + 49 611 93199 00 Fax: + 49 611 93199 05 ### Australia comforte PTY Suite 20, 1 Rivett Road North Ryde NSW 2113 Australia Postal Address: PO Box 1710 Lane Cove NSW 1595 Australia Phone: +61 2 8197 0272 ### USA comforte Inc. 30 Wall Street, 8th Floor New York, NY 10005-2205 USA Phone: +1-646-438-5716 ### Singapore comforte Asia Pte. Ltd. 1 Raffles Place, #19-61 Tower 2  Singapore 048616 Phone: +65 6808 5507 - [Sitemap](https://www.comforte.com/sitemap/) - [Legal Notice](https://www.comforte.com/legal-notice/) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.comforte.com/privacy-policy/) © comforte AG 2026