Understanding that big data comes from such a huge pool of devices, constantly collecting new data, gives you an idea where security threats may come from. Each device that is online, from phones to tablets to computers to smart appliances, has the potential of sending and receiving new data. This continuous back and forth gives a nearly constant window of opportunity for a security breach. In order to prevent this from happening, you must be aware of where you could face issues.
1. Data Distribution Over Multiple Frameworks
While taking that vast amount of data and processing and distributing all of it over multiple different frameworks helps to keep the data moving more efficiently, it also opens the data up to larger headaches. Each server that handles the big data coming in has the potential of falling to a network security breach or getting locked up in the network as the process happens. The speed of data may be faster, but the multiple entry points to the same pot of information leaves it more vulnerable than if a single framework is used.
2. Real Time Network Security and Compliance Tools
It is great to monitor your network. It helps to keep your network a lot safer. However, these tools are also stockpiles of massive amounts of big data. They have to search through numerous bits of data while constantly making sure your network security is properly in place. Occasionally, that means getting a false-positive result in what appears to be an outside intrusion. In order to keep these systems safe, they need to be checked by humans to keep only the actual threats being tended to. Using a real time network monitor tool gives your business the ability to sift through the data coming in, reducing the false positives and giving your network security tools the best chances of catching real intrusions as they occur.
3. Data Storage
When big data gets stored, it is sitting there, waiting to be accessed. If you are the one accessing it, then there is no problem. However, if an outsider is accessing the data while it is stored, this type of breach may be missed. Since stored data is rarely monitored for someone accessing it, it could be a virtual goldmine for someone trying to sneak their way into your network.
4. Network Access Points
One of the ways that your network can keep big data safer for you is by doing everything you can to protect the access points of your data. You need to make sure everything you send along is encrypted. You also need to make sure that you verify each person is exactly who they claim to be. These should be multi-stage verification so that you can tell who is looking at what, and that they are only seeing the data they are allowed to see. Anything beyond what they are allowed to see needs to be kept safe and not put out there for anyone to see.
5. Non-Related Stores of Data
Having data that is stored with yours, but is not related to yours, could pose another potential issue when it comes to keeping your big data safe. Consider a NoSQL database. They are typically only kept secure with a bit of middle-ware, but that tends to be a weak level of network security. You need to have more protection than someone else’s software that is not typically strong enough to keep those determined to get in, out.
6. Data Endpoints
When the data is sent along to be stored, it sits at its endpoint and waits for you to do something with it. If your endpoint is not secure, you could have issues with the data being stolen or corrupted while it sits there. If you have a network security breach along the way, your data could be stopping at what someone else has told the data is the endpoint, and not even getting to where you want your data to be. You need to verify the data is going where you want it to go and that it is safe there on a regular basis to avoid this type of issue.
7. Data Mining Solutions
Data mining is what gives you access to the answers that all of this big data collecting is looking for. It helps you find new trends that people are leaning towards, and helps you to develop business strategies that take those new trends into account. That is the reason you need to make sure you have top level network security monitoring this information. Not only outsiders are going to think that this information is valuable, as insiders could be seeking a way to be a part of the next big thing, too. Making sure your network security is all inclusive is the best way to ensure that these results are kept safe until you can do what you need to with them.
8. Audits That Find Data Breaches Have Occurred
When you are talking about loss of big data, when you find that someone missed an intrusion, that is already a loss of the data, leaving it exposed to issues. These audits need to show you what happened and when, plus what information may have been compromised in the process. While this is a data loss, it is also an experience that allows you to better prepare for future intrusions, and it can help keep your future big data safer.
9. Metadata Can Give Insight
While the metadata is very important, because it can tell you so much about your data, if you are not the only one seeing your metadata, that is a problem. You can see who accessed your specific data, when it was accessed, and what of the data was accessed. However, people who have access to this can become a breach in and of themselves. If you are going to allow anyone to access your metadata, you need to make sure that you trust them with all of the insider data that your company has, or else, you risk losing your business’ information to someone else.
Knowing where you face risks can help you keep your big data a lot safer. If you know that any of these areas could be problem areas for your company, you need to make sure you are constantly on the lookout for any type of intrusion or breach. If you have any other locations that you think should be included on this list, tell us. We would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.
