Security another crucial aspect of big data, survey finds

The role of big data analytics is expected to become more important in the near future as organizations of all kinds try to manage and extract value from this information. However, security has been somewhat overlooked in the race to study big data, according to a recent survey conducted by ESG.

Of the enterprises polled by ESG, 44 percent said their security data, processing and analysis information are all considered part of their big data. Another 44 percent believe these sectors will be part of their big data within the next two years.

When asked if enterprise IT budgets should be allocated toward big data technology security or protection for their entire IT departments, more than 60 percent of security professionals surveyed said big data investments should “encompass many aspects of IT including security.” Another 38 percent said a big data security project will be independent of the IT infrastructure.

“I understand this sentiment; the majority of CIOs want to create a common IT big data architecture rather than purchase, deploy and operate a bunch of IT big data silos,” ESG Senior Principal Analyst Jon Oltsik wrote. “Makes sense but this could easily turn into a multi-year IT mega-project if organizations aren’t careful.”

Big data security may require more IT professionals
When it comes to organizations needing the most skilled IT professionals, managing and analyzing this information is just scratching the surface. Security is also paramount, according to Computerworld contributor Dave Bellai, who indicated that data scientists, developers and analysts will all have a place at companies moving forward.

Big data security experts will also be needed, especially in commercial firms and government agencies, which require “high levels of system and data security.”

“We’ve all seen bad behavior in system intrusion and the effect of that activity, and the problem is unfortunately only growing,” Bellai wrote.

There is little doubt that big data will continue to be a driving force throughout the IT industry moving forward, placing even greater emphasis on security and IT professionals to protect these large information caches. The importance of big data is only expected to grow in the near future, making companies that can manage, analyze and secure their files more competitive than firms struggling to do so.