Businesses rely on ever-increasing amounts of data in order to maximize their chances for success and best serve their customers. Of course, the more data you process, the bigger the stakes are in keeping it all safe. In this age of big data, it’s essential to know what problems can arise so you can plan for them in advance. It’s much better to prevent problems before they happen.
Here are some of the biggest issues big data security issues, and the ways you can prepare for them.
Problem 1: Big Data Security Breaches
With so many companies accumulating massive amounts of customer data, cyber criminals have stepped up their efforts in breaching this data and stealing data from millions (or, in the Yahoo data breach case, billions) of accounts. If your company collects data, odds are that there are criminals out there who will try to steal it if they can.
The Solution: A strong, top-to-bottom security strategy
Your business’s security strategy needs to consider every single angle of potential vulnerability, from your own servers, to your employees, to the customers themselves. Hire technicians who are certified in such areas as ethical hacking and security analysis. Keep in steady contact with them, and keep them in contact with each other. Encourage them to be proactive and creative.
If you can, encrypt your company computers, especially laptops that might be taken out of your buildings. One stray or stolen device can lead to harmful leaks.
Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of helping your customers understand the importance of end user data security. If your company has users log on with passwords, require long passwords of at least 12 characters, and offer two-factor verification.
Problem 2: Overwhelming data, underfunded security
The sheer volume of data that businesses process can take massive amounts of work to process. While data scientists are essential for processing huge quantities of data, many companies neglect their security departments; the average company devotes 8.9 percent of its budget to security spending, but the recommended amount is at least 10 percent.
The solution: better budgeting and hiring
Big data security is an issue that requires employees who can dedicate their full time and attention to it. Without a dedicated team, you will likely have huge holes in your security plan. Budgeting enough to prevent big data breaches is worth the cost; it will be far more costly to suffer a data loss because of underfunded, understaffed security.
Problem 3: Backup breaches
Backing up your data is essential, but so is keeping the backups safe. If you prefer physical backup copies to cloud backup, you do run the risk of losing those files and compromising your security if they end up in the wrong hands. Don’t think it doesn’t happen; in 2012, TD Bank lost the backup tapes containing information for 267,000 customers. In 2011, healthcare company Tricare lost backup files containing information on 4.9 million customers when a burglar broke into an employee’s car.
The solution: Cloud data backup
When you backup data to the cloud, you lose the risk of having your data physically stolen. A good cloud backup company will keep your data well encrypted and safe from outside intrusion; your data’s safety is their bottom line, after all, so it’s incumbent on them to keep it safe. It certainly beats the possibility of a burglar making off with all your data.
