Over the last few years, audit controls, compliance regulations, and damage to reputations due to data breaches have continued to increase and show no signs of slowing down.
As a result, organizations have experienced difficulties with managing change and developing strategies that mitigate risks associated with accidental data disclosure, while enabling cost-effective IT operations. Additionally, analysis of attack trends over recent years indicates that sensitive data continues to be the focus of modern cybercrime, making that a top priority for where to focus enterprise IT security efforts. The challenge that organizations face is how best to protect their sensitive data while balancing ease of use, cost, and scale.
Another related trend in protecting sensitive data is the rapid adoption of cloud services within organizations, whether at the platform, infrastructure, or product level. Depending on the size, sophistication, and function of an organization’s traditional physical infrastructure, the path to a cloud-enabled or cloud-based operating environment may vary significantly from organization to organization. As assets, applications, and data flows move into, though, and around the cloud environment, new challenges emerge around ensuring the security of sensitive data. By taking a data-centric approach to security, organizations can experience the operational benefits of cloud infrastructure and maintain best-practice data security within a single construct and at significant cost savings.