In the first parts of this series we have looked at ensuring the building blocks of our platform are right so that our data is sitting on strong foundations.

In this part we look at bringing management, security and compliance to our data platform.

As our data, the demands we place on it and the amount of regulation controlling it, continues to grow then gaining deep insight into how it is used can no longer be a “nice to have” it has to be an integral part of our strategy.

If you look traditionally at the way we have managed data growth you can see the basics of the problem, we have added file servers, storage arrays and cloud repositories as demanded, because more, has been easier than managing the problem.

However, this is no longer the case, as we see our data as more of an asset we need to make sure it is in good shape, holding poor quality data is not in our interest, the cost of storing it is no longer going unnoticed, we can no longer go to the business every 12 months needing more and while I have no intention of making this a piece about the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it and regulation like it, is forcing us to rethink how we view the management of our data.

So what do I use in my data platforms to manage and control data better?

Varonis

I came across Varonis and their data management suite about 4 years ago and this was the catalyst for a fundamental shift in the way I have thought about and talked about data, as it opened up brand new insights on how unstructured data in a business was been used and highlighted the flaws in the way people were traditionally managing it.

With that in mind, how do I start to build management into my data platform?

It starts by finding answers to two questions;

Who, Where and When?

Without understanding this point it will be impossible to properly build management into our platform.

If we don’t know who is accessing data how can we be sure only the right people have access to our assets?

If we don’t know where the data is, how are we supposed to control its growth, secure it and govern access?

And of course when is the data accessed or even, is it accessed? let’s face it if no one is accessing our data then why are we holding it at all?

What’s in it?

However, there are lots of tools that tell me the who, where and when of data access, that’s not really reason I include Varonis in my platform designs.

While who, where and when is important it does not include a crucial component, the what. What type of information is stored in my data.

If I’m building management policies and procedures I can’t do that without knowing what is contained in my data, is it sensitive information like finances, intellectual property or customer details? Or, as we look at regulation such as GDPR, knowing where we hold private and sensitive data about individuals is increasingly crucial.

Without this knowledge we cannot ensure our data and business compliance strategies are fit for purpose.

Building Intelligence into our system

In my opinion one of the most crucial parts of a modern data platform is the inclusion of behavioural analytics, as our platforms grow ever more diverse, complex and large, one of the common refrains I hear is “this information is great, but who is going to look at it, let alone action it?”, this is a very fair point and a real problem.

Behavioural Analytics tools can help address this and supplement our IT teams. These technologies are capable of understanding and learning the normal behaviour of our data platform and when those norms are deviated from can warn us quickly and allow us to address the issue.

This kind of behavioural understanding offers significant benefits from knowing who the owners of a data set are to helping us spot malicious activity, from ransomware to data theft.

In my opinion this kind of technology is the only realistic way of maintaining security, control and compliance in a modern data platform.

Strategy

As discussed in parts one and two, it is crucial the vendors who make up a data platform have a vision that addresses the challenges businesses see when it comes to data.

There should be no surprise then that Varonis’s strategy aligns very well with those challenges, as one of the first companies I came across that delivered real forethought to the management, control and governance of our data assets.

That vision continues, with new tools and capabilities continually delivered, such as Varonis Edge and the recent addition of a new automation engine which provides a significant enhancement to the Varonis portfolio, the tools now don’t only warn of deviations from the norm, but can also act upon them to remediate the threat.

All of this tied in with Varonis’ continued extension of its integration with On-Prem and Cloud, storage and service providers, ensure they will continue to play a significant role in bringing management to a modern data platform.

Regardless of whether you choose Varonis or not it is crucial you have intelligent management and analytics built into your environment, because without it, it will be almost impossible to deliver the kind of data platform fit for a modern data driven business.

You can find the other posts from this series below;