Data Governance — Classification, Retention & Lineage
Data Governance for Regulated Organizations.
Regulators don't just examine your technology — they examine your data. What you hold, where it lives, how long you keep it, who can access it, and what your AI tools do with it. Data governance is the control layer that makes every other governance program defensible.
Classification. Retention. Lineage. Access. Continuously maintained.
The Regulatory Reality
Data Governance Failures Have a Price Tag
SEC, FINRA, and HIPAA enforcement around data governance — records retention, access controls, off-channel communications, and AI data practices — is accelerating. The firms being examined are not outliers.
$2.3B+
FINRA and SEC fines for off-channel communications failures since 2021
6 years
Minimum FINRA 17a-4 retention requirement for broker-dealer records
2025
SEC began requiring AI data governance disclosures in examination letters
$1.9M
Average HIPAA settlement cost when PHI data governance failures are found
Capabilities
What Data Governance Covers
Data governance is not a one-time audit. It is a continuous operational function — classification maintained as new data enters, retention enforced automatically, access reviewed on an ongoing basis, and AI data trails built in real time.
Data Classification & Inventory
Identify and classify every data type across your environment — PHI, PII, financial records, privileged communications, and AI-generated content. You cannot govern data you cannot see, and regulators expect you to know exactly what you hold.
Records Retention Management
Implement and enforce retention schedules aligned to FINRA Rule 17a-4 (6-year minimum), HIPAA's 6-year retention requirement, SEC books-and-records rules, and state-specific obligations. Automated destruction after retention periods expire.
Data Lineage & AI Audit Trails
Track what data flows into AI tools and what comes out — building the audit trail regulators are beginning to require. When an examiner asks what your AI model consumed, you have an answer ready.
Access Control Governance
Define and enforce role-based access controls with continuous monitoring and audit logs. Every access event is documented. Every privilege escalation is reviewed. Your access posture is defensible before an examiner pulls the log.
Off-Channel Communications Capture
Capture and retain business communications across text, WhatsApp, personal email, and collaboration tools. FINRA and SEC have levied over $2.3 billion in fines since 2021 for off-channel communication failures — this is no longer optional.
Data Privacy & Consent Management
Operationalize CCPA, state privacy law, and HIPAA minimum-necessary requirements. Maintain documented consent records, honor data subject requests, and demonstrate privacy-by-design practices to regulators and clients.
Data + AI
Data Governance Is the Foundation of AI Governance.
Every AI tool your organization uses consumes data. That data may include PHI, client financial records, privileged communications, or confidential business information. Without data governance, you cannot answer the questions regulators are now asking about AI.
Centience builds the data governance layer first — classification, retention, lineage, and access controls — so that when AI governance overlays it, the foundation is already there. The result is an AI program that can demonstrate, document, and defend every data decision it makes.
See AI GovernanceKnow exactly what data you hold, where it lives, and who can access it — before a regulator asks
Maintain retention schedules automatically — no scramble before an exam or litigation hold
Build the AI audit trail that SEC, FINRA, and HIPAA examiners are beginning to require
Demonstrate data lineage for every AI tool your organization uses
Capture off-channel communications across all platforms, not just email
Reduce breach impact — governed data classification limits exposure when incidents occur
Regulatory Alignment
Frameworks We Align To
Data governance programs at Centience are built around the frameworks and regulations your examiners will reference.
FINRA Rule 17a-4 — Electronic records retention
SEC Books and Records Rules (15c3-3, 17a-3/4)
HIPAA Privacy & Security Rules — PHI data governance
NIST Privacy Framework
NIST AI RMF — AI data governance requirements
CCPA / State Privacy Law compliance
ISO/IEC 27001 — Information security data controls
NY DFS Part 500 — Data retention and access requirements
Industries We Serve
Centience delivers data governance programs for regulated organizations with the most demanding data obligations.
FINRA 17a-4, SEC books and records, off-channel communications, and AI data trail requirements.
PHI classification, HIPAA minimum necessary, breach notification readiness, and AI clinical data governance.
Privilege protection, matter data classification, e-discovery readiness, and AI research tool governance.