Assess - Assign value to your organization's data.  Highly valued data needs more protection, management and support.  Value changes over time so periodic re-evaluation is important.  Have a workable plan in place for business recovery, as well as a reasonable and active retention policy. 

Protect - Keep anti-virus software current to deal with new threats; protect your network from both deliberate and inadvertent intrusion.  Periodically review access restrictions to make sure that only appropriate users are allowed access and that access is appropriate for job responsibilities. Make sure your backup and recovery processes are working correctly.  Questions to ask: When should backups take place? How long should data be stored? and Where should it be stored? 

Invest - Look at how you use data.  Are there ways to enhance its value?  How can it be used more effectively to support decision making?  What can your data tell you about your clients/constituents and the products/services that you offer?  Business intelligence methods are pushing competitive markets to use comprehensive data management repositories that have clearly defined data structures, ownership, relationships, and levels of aggregation.