Data security in the context of Big Data involves implementing measures to protect sensitive information stored, processed, and transmitted within large-scale data environments. Here’s how data security works with Big Data:
Encrypting data at rest (stored data) and in transit (data being transmitted) helps safeguard it from unauthorized access. Techniques such as Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) are commonly used to encrypt data. Additionally, encryption key management ensures that only authorized users have access to decryption keys.
Masking sensitive data elements or anonymizing personally identifiable information (PII) before storing or sharing it helps mitigate the risk of data breaches. Techniques such as tokenization and pseudonymization are used to replace sensitive data with fictitious or hashed values while preserving data integrity.
Implementing comprehensive audit logging and monitoring capabilities allows organizations to track user activities and detect suspicious behaviour or security incidents in real-time. This includes logging access attempts, data modifications, and system events, as well as analyzing logs for anomalies and unauthorized access patterns.
Implementing robust access control mechanisms ensures that only authorized individuals or systems can access specific data within the Big Data environment. This involves authentication (verifying the identity of users) and authorization (determining what actions users are permitted to perform).
RBAC assigns permissions to users based on their roles and responsibilities within the organization. This ensures that users only have access to the data and resources necessary to perform their job functions, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access.
DLP technologies help prevent the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data by monitoring and controlling data transfers within the Big Data environment. This involves inspecting data in motion and at rest, enforcing policies to prevent data leaks, and alerting administrators of potential security violations.