ISC Data Governance · Updated November 2026
Data Owner vs Data Steward vs Data Custodian: Who Decides, Governs, and Operates?
The owner is accountable, the steward operationalizes governance, and the custodian manages the technical environment.
Data owner
The data owner is typically accountable for classification, access expectations, acceptable use, and business responsibility.
Data steward
The steward helps implement standards, definitions, quality rules, metadata practices, and day-to-day governance.
Data custodian
The custodian manages storage, backup, access mechanisms, system administration, and technical protection.
Exam strategy
Ask whether the fact pattern is about business accountability, governance administration, or technical operation.
The takeaway
Owner sets business accountability, steward operationalizes governance, and custodian manages the technical environment.
Related Summit resources
FAQ
Who is accountable for business use of the data?
The data owner.
Who commonly manages metadata and data quality?
The data steward.
Who manages storage and technical safeguards?
The data custodian.