Start Implementing Data Governance with Connect Cloud  

As businesses start using more data, governing and protecting sensitive data can keep managers up at night. Customer trust, regulatory mandates, and operational agility can hinge on a single foundation: effective data governance. Yet many enterprises struggle to balance effective governance and monitoring with the size of their tech stack, not needing full-blown monitoring platforms and systems for the size of the team.

Poorly managed data governance can expose companies with any amount of data to a range of risks, from non-compliance with regulations like GDPR and HIPAA to accidental leaks of sensitive information, including personally identifiable information (PII). Without centralized control and visibility over who can access what data—and how—businesses are left vulnerable to audit failures, reputational damage, and even legal consequences.

Enterprise data governance, simplified

CData Connect Cloud helps enterprise leaders start building their data governance strategy by delivering a base layer of control over data access and sharing—without slowing down business users. Designed for organizations that need clarity and compliance without adding operational overhead and overcomplicating their tech stack, Connect Cloud empowers teams to work securely with the data they need, when they need it.

Think of Connect Cloud as an appetizer to building out full large enterprise data governance and monitoring – with a set of lite features to monitor and track how your data is being accessed by users, Connect Cloud is a great first step for most who are building out their data strategy.

Here’s how Connect Cloud streamlines enterprise-grade data governance:

Granular dataset-level access control

With Connect Cloud, every dataset and data connection come with fine-grained user permissioning. Admins can assign access on a per-user basis or share broadly with entire teams, ensuring that sensitive or regulated data stays within the right hands. This level of control reduces the risk of unauthorized access while giving team members clarity on who can view and work with each dataset. Finally, with Single Sign-On (SSO) access to all data systems, maintain a clear view on who is accessing what across your stack at all times.

Virtual datasets: Curate and share only what’s needed

Instead of granting access to entire systems of raw business data, Connect Cloud users can create virtual datasets within the platform’s Data Explorer. These datasets can be tailored to specific use cases—filtering attributes, removing PII, or isolating relevant slices of information—then shared with colleagues. This enables secure, scoped sharing without compromising broader datasets.

Embedded IT governance and monitoring

IT and data teams can actively monitor and control Connect Cloud’s governance model themselves, as well as get a view of who is accessing what data across shared systems. The platform includes centralized controls for user authentication, permission management, data connection oversight, and audit visibility. This collaborative model between business and IT ensures compliance standards are met, even as data access is democratized across departments. Full logging on every data request and change is also available in Connect Cloud.

Eliminate data sprawl and duplication

Connect Cloud’s direct-query architecture connects integrated tools to live data sources, removing the need for interim storage layers, manual exports, or downloaded datasets on personal devices. This significantly reduces the spread of uncontrolled data copies, a common weak spot in governance frameworks. The result is a leaner, more secure data ecosystem with better visibility and traceability.

Looking for advanced data access governance capabilities?

While Connect Cloud is a great starter to implementing data governance and monitoring controls on your data, if you’re looking for a complete semantic layer with advanced controls, check out CData Virtuality. CData Virtuality provides a holistic set of management capabilities for all the data governance and monitoring large enterprises need while also accelerating virtual data access capabilities across many users. Connect Cloud is best to start off providing safe and governed data access to the right users, but CData Virtuality offers a full suite of data governance features and capabilities to enable secure and scalable data access to large teams and entire organizations.

A modern governance layer for business data access

For decision-makers looking to advance their enterprise data governance strategy, CData Connect Cloud offers a practical and powerful solution. It delivers the access control, auditability, and dataset-level filtering needed to stay compliant and secure—without compromising business agility.

By aligning IT oversight with business needs, Connect Cloud helps organizations manage data responsibly while enabling teams to move faster with the data they need.