Your business generates massive volumes of data that demand smart and secure management. However, confusion and misconceptions run rampant when it comes to information security and compliance with big data. Looking beyond the three most common misconceptions about information security compliance can help you ensure that your data and systems are secure.
Misconception #1: It’s All About Data
While data is definitely an important part of compliance management, it's the entire approach to safeguarding information that actually demands more attention. A business should be equally concerned about the type and health of the systems where the data resides and where it's likely to be used, secured and authorized network access, and suitable encryption protocols for sensitive information, among other things.
Misconception #2: It’s All about Confidentiality
Confidentiality is just one of the three key factors required for sufficient security, but it’s the most obvious. Information security solutions in an organization are based on three crucial elements known as the CIA, or AIC triad, namely:
1. Confidentiality
2. Integrity
3. Availability
Confidentiality means the data is protected from unauthorized access. Integrity implies the data is reliable and correct. Availability guarantees authorized and secure access to information.
All of these factors are a part of a holistic approach to IT regulatory compliance management for big data. It's crucial to efficiently identify and segregate sensitive data, apply necessary security protocols to store and access data safely, and restrict access accordingly to ensure confidentiality.
Misconception #3: It Has to Be Perfect
Security measures adopted to protect data are hardly perfect, given the fact that most traditional defense mechanisms are bound to be compromised by innovative extraction-mining techniques and ever-evolving attack strategies. Many people believe any breach means liability issues for the business, but this isn't true.
The best course of action is to keep your security measures appropriate and robust enough to safeguard valuable information. It's important to proactively assess potential threats and data protection requirements and adopt suitable strategies to secure information, rather than opt for damage control once a breach has occurred. When you do that, compliance liability issues are unlikely to surface.
Having a comprehensive threat prevention and mitigation plan in place not only prevents breaches or attacks, but also helps identify and limit the damage and speed the recovery.
Information security compliance management is a matter of prime concern, but it may not be as daunting or complex as it seems. Liability usually only happens when the business hasn’t even tried to address data security. It can be avoided by adopting proactive security measures to comprehensively address the specific requirements of the business space. It is, however, an ongoing process that demands regular updates. Check out our free webinar for more information on maintaining sufficient security measures.
