Your Big Data in the Cloud…But is it Secure?

Now that cloud computing and big data are a reality, we have come to realise that the two together are actually a match made in heaven. The fact that cloud computing can scale quickly and automatically is just what big data needs in order to operate with such flexibility whilst supporting large amounts of data.

However, the big question on everybody’s lips when discussing cloud computing is; ‘Is cloud security good enough for big data?’

When talking about cloud security, generally any solution should be able to provide enough flexibility and security in the cloud without effecting/ disturbing the overall security of the environment. Here are four tips to ensure total security, when taking your big data to the cloud.

1. It might sound simple but encrypt your sensitive data; this will form a virtual wall around your cloud environment. Use encryptions products to ensure the safety of your data, an easy solution could be split key encryption, which will allow you to be in complete control of your data whilst providing a secure cloud infrastructure solution.

2. As data is ever changing, the components that make up the architecture must be flexible in order to scale, thus the security surrounding the cloud environment shouldn’t be any different. When deciding on your cloud security option, you must ensure that it is available across all cloud geo-locations and be able to scale up and down according to your cloud requirements. This being said, the security of the hardware is not involved as it will not be able flex and scale to house big data needs. For this, the best route would be to deploy a security solution that is as secure as hardware based security, but that also has the scalability for the cloud.

3. Ensure to automate your cloud solution as much as you can; try to create an environment that imitates that of a virtual appliance approach rather than a hardware one; and ideally you’d want a useable API available as part of your security offering within the cloud. Coupling an API and virtual appliance approach will give your cloud environment the flexibility and automation required for the security of your big data in the cloud.

4. And finally, never compromise on the security of your data. Most would say that cloud security is complicated, especially when it comes to big data; people take shortcuts as the tasks are too complex to complete and environments become difficult to maintain. When your big data security is concerned, you must map out your data in accordance with the level of sensitivity that comes with and put the sufficient protection in place that is needed; particularly if the data is regulated.

The technology is out there to be used, and our cloud experts ensure data is protected in the correct way. Taking the fundamental steps of encrypting data as the first line of defence, thus allowing for flexible and automated security in the cloud.