As businesses in the USA and elsewhere increasingly hold larger volumes of data, the need for data integration rises correspondingly. Issues with data security might arise in data integration initiatives that incorporate several sources of data, particularly in the USA. Although it is possible to incorporate data security controls, they are not always adequate to make integration procedures sufficiently secure.
The top three most important data security concerns that CIOs, architects, and business executives are facing today are:
Issue No. 1: How can security holes occur in conventional data integration using relational databases?
Issue No. 2: How does data security overburden application developers?
Issue No. 3: How can insider threats cause unknown, uncontrolled data security vulnerabilities inside the network perimeter?
Due to this increased complexity, ensuring data security is more difficult than ever.
There has been a rise in both the number of breaches and the amount of money spent on data protection, yet the situation has only worsened. Every company wants better solutions, but large-scale data integration initiatives that incorporate several data silos with mission-critical data are especially difficult.
A closer analysis shows the following as some of the primary concerns:
Conventional Data Integration Vulnerabilities
It is vital to have security controls that monitor everything that is going on around the data. From governance to protection and auditing, this will help to cut down on the complexity of the data risk that is present throughout the integration procedures.
Unfortunately, most firms eventually collect a variety of database silos, each with its own set of security rules. Making unified monitoring and safeguarding of data very difficult, if not impossible. The number of ETL tools is large, and they all have their own set of access restrictions and obfuscated code that must be maintained. More data silos means more places for hackers to find vulnerabilities.
Overworked Application Developers
Protecting information over a network of decoupled databases is a formidable challenge. Sadly, the database layer is not the only area where data lacks security. Developers are often expected to do all they can to protect user information at the application layer. DevOps and rapid development have increased the distance between the development and security teams. These two developments are both helpful and have a direct impact on software development's ability to have more frequent updates.
Stockpiling of Data
The goal of data storage security is to prevent unauthorized access, modification, or destruction of data kept in any kind of storage facility, whether on-premises, off-site, or on the cloud. Some integration platforms already have built-in encryption, while many others need the installation of additional software or a dedicated encryption device to guarantee the security of their data. The number of businesses that choose to keep all or most of their data on the cloud is constantly rising. Despite claims that cloud storage is naturally safer than on-premises options, migrating to the cloud may add significant complexity to storage infrastructures, necessitating the education and adoption of new tools and processes on the part of IT and development teams.
Unknown Insider Risk Possibilities
Most businesses lack a holistic approach to security measures, which increases their likelihood of being breached. The increasing number of third-party services that today's businesses rely on only serves to increase the complexity of the insider threat. It might be difficult to distinguish between those who are regarded as insiders and outsiders. Sometimes, apparently harmless decisions about data administration pose serious threats to data confidentiality. The difficulty arises in maintaining privacy standards even while exchanging information. Critical data subsets must be protected in a way that allows authorized individuals within or outside the business quick and easy access using just the controls that are necessary for their tasks.
Coding Data Manually
Although there are some off-the-shelf connectivity tools available, many businesses prefer to have their own. They almost never provide the necessary degree of data protection. Many data silos make it difficult to ensure data security at every level. Moreover, a spaghetti architecture is created by unique integrations, which opens the door to new security holes. However, even in IT organizations with specialized security personnel, communication gaps between integration developers and security teams are not uncommon. Thanks to low-code, even those without a background in software programming may take part in the creation of useful integrations. This may compromise data security.
The issues listed here may not be a comprehensive one, and not every company may have to face them all. Nonetheless, every company has to systematically consider the security holes in its data environment. Having more options for databases will lead to a rise in total data volume. As a result, there will be an increased need for the integration of disparate sources of data to provide actionable intelligence in the form of reports. Data integration security can no longer be guaranteed simply by trusting the competence of developers to create new integrations.
At Trueloader, we understand the importance of data security when it comes to integration. Our team of experts are here to help you navigate the complexities of data security challenges during data integration. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you protect your data while achieving your data integration goals.
