Cybersecurity is high on everyone’s agenda, as 4,000 new cyber attacks are carried out every single day. Many companies have added various cybersecurity tools and programs in an attempt to improve network and endpoint security, but managing multiple disparate tools can be challenging.
Data security platforms (DSPs) combine innovative security tools that would have traditionally been siloed to protect your digital assets, both on-premises and in the cloud. DSPs can have different functionalities and components, from discovery and classification to user behavior analytics, role-based access control, auditing, and reporting.
Your data security platform presents multiple functions in a single, centralized user interface and security program, simplifying the process of implementing and managing different tools and software solutions.
What is a Data Security Platform?
Data security platforms enable organizations to protect their sensitive information and intellectual property from cyber attacks and other threats, including failure to meet compliance requirements, data breaches and losses, and theft or sabotage.
A data security program or platform combines several standalone tools into one comprehensive program and is designed to secure data storage in internal servers, systems, and the cloud. Your DSP can discover and classify data, track permissions, and access privileges, conduct audits, and ensure compliance via one unified interface, freeing up your IT security resources and simplifying implementation and management.
The purpose of a DSP includes:
- managing and securing sensitive data within a multi-cloud environment,
- implementing data loss prevention policies and monitoring data access through various security tools,
- data protection through data monitoring, access controls, and other forms of security,
- implementing security measures that comply with regulatory requirements, such as GDPR, PCI, HIPAA, and other mandates;
- detecting and preventing cyber attacks, violations, and breaches.
The Benefits of a Data Security Platform
The main benefit of a DSP is its ease of use. It’s able to manage multiple security issues from a single dashboard, which makes it easier for teams to manage, make adjustments, and address problems.
Here are a few of the benefits associated with data security platforms:
1. Simplified training and management
New hires and existing staff can be trained more easily on one application than multiple different programs. It’s also far easier to spot and repair problems when the team has only one solution to manage that requires patching/upgrades.
2. Reduced costs
Maintaining and supporting a DSP solution is less time-consuming and more affordable than using multiple standalone solutions. It’s also cheaper to buy one single solution than several.
3. Compliance is simplified
Some of the more advanced data security platforms on the market will indicate where sensitive information is being stored and indicate that it requires protection. This makes it easier to provide reports during a compliance audit. The DSP is able to show exactly who has access to sensitive information and can track permission changes to ensure data access is restricted per your company’s privilege policies.
4. Improved visibility
DSPs prevent over-exposure of data by showing teams exactly what users are doing with data and access permissions. Visibility is an important part of data loss prevention and can go a long way toward preventing a data breach or abuse of company information.
5. Context
When access management or data loss prevention tools are deployed as standalone solutions, they can quickly overwhelm your security teams with alerts about sensitive data or access permission changes. Without context, it’s very difficult to analyze and spot genuine threats. Privileged Access Management tools usually do not offer a lot of insight beyond basic behavioral analytics, but a DSP will provide context into the full security environment as well as the changes that are being made without flooding the team with alerts.
6. Improved efficiency
Your DSP brings multiple technologies together, reducing the need to manage multiple solutions and boosting efficiency and the allocation of resources.
7. Improved customer satisfaction
Data security keeps customers’ data safe. This builds trust and improves your company’s reputation in the industry and the marketplace.
8. Better data security
A DSP enables encryption, access control, monitoring, and other measures that will protect data from unauthorized access, data theft, and losses. By adopting a more thorough, layered approach to data security and classification, companies can reduce the risk of breaches and other incidents. The DSP will also monitor access to data, alerting IT teams to possible security threats.
Components/Features of a Data Security Platform
Most DSPs are configurable, scalable, and able to adjust according to the organization’s unique needs and requirements. Your DSP will typically include the following:
1. Data Discovery and Classification (DDC)
Data Discovery and Classification (DDC) is the process of identifying and classifying sensitive data in a data platform. This includes both structured and unstructured data, such as data in databases, files, and applications.
DDC is important for a number of reasons. First, it helps organizations to understand what sensitive data they have and where it is located. This information can then be used to implement appropriate security controls to protect the data. Second, DDC can help organizations comply with data privacy regulations, such as the General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR). Third, DDC can help organizations to reduce the risk of data breaches.
DDC includes data profiling, analyzing information to identify its format, content, and structure and to determine whether or not data is sensitive and requires protection. Data discovery will search for information that matches specific criteria, e.g., keywords and patterns, to identify sensitive information that data profiling may have missed. Data classification will tag files to indicate the degree of sensitivity, either manually or automatically, so that high-priority files can be protected and backed up first.
2. Permissions and Privileges Management (PPM)
Permissions and privileges management helps organizations understand how data access permissions are applied and whether or not users are changing permissions or exposing data to outside threats. Your DSP will help teams define which users or user groups can have secure access to specific data and which actions they can perform on that data. This protects information from unauthorized access and ensures that users only have access to the data they actually need to carry out their day-to-day duties.
3. User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)
User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) is a cybersecurity solution that uses machine learning, cryptographic algorithms, and statistical analysis to identify and detect anomalies in the behavior of users, devices, and entities on a network.
UEBA collects data about user and entity behavior, such as login times, file access, and network traffic, before analyzing the information to create a baseline of normal behavior. Any deviations from this baseline are flagged as potential anomalies.
UEBA can detect and alert security teams when a breach occurs, e.g., if a user starts collecting data they normally won’t access, and can spot malware infections and insider threats.
4. Auditing, Reporting, and Alerting
Your DSP can help teams determine whether or not the environment around your most sensitive data is secure, who is accessing your data and how, and whether or not the company has a large attack surface due to stale accounts or lenient permissions.
Note that most DSPs work in conjunction with other cybersecurity tools, such as firewalls, identity and access management tools, and intrusion detection systems, to provide a more layered, robust security posture.
Best Practices For Choosing and Implementing a DSP
A DSP has numerous benefits for any organization that wants to improve security operations and its defensive posture. Here are a few best practices to consider.
1. Define your requirements
Before you start looking at DSPs, it is important to define your requirements. What do you need the DSP to do? What kind of data will it be processing? What kind of performance do you need? Understanding the size and complexity of your data, your budget, your support requirements, and the level of security required is the first step to choosing the best data security platform for your business.
2. Consider your budget
DSPs can range in price from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. It is important to set a budget before you start shopping so that you don’t overspend. Read reviews, compare features, and get quotes from different vendors before making a decision.
3. Make sure the DSP is compatible with your other systems.
If you already have other security systems in place, make sure that the DSP you choose is compatible with them. This will save you time and money in the long run. DSPs will require regular maintenance and support, so make sure that you factor this into your decision when choosing a DSP.
By following these best practices, you can choose and implement a DSP that meets your needs and requirements.
Final Thoughts
Modern companies have to protect their data from every single angle – a single breach can have devastating consequences. Fortunately, a data security platform can offer the protection you need from a single, unified user interface. You’ll gain insight into where your most sensitive data is kept, how well it’s protected, who is accessing it, and how they’re accessing it, giving you and your team the visibility you need to keep your information safe.
