Big data security analytics is something that’s becoming increasingly important in finance, which isn’t a surprise considering today’s digital landscape.
Now, more than ever, organizations are facing a constant wave of security threats. From network intrusions and malicious insider activity to data breaches and compliance violations, the risks to a company’s sensitive data are at an all-time high.
So, how can you protect data from theft and other malicious threats?
Keep reading to find out how to detect and respond to security threats and how you can implement cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive financial data.
We also dive into:
- Big data’s role in finance
- What is big data security analytics?
- How to leverage big data security
- How to get started with big data in the finance function
Big data’s role in finance
Before we dig into the security analytics side of big data, let’s take a moment to clarify what we mean by ‘big data.’
Put simply, big data in finance refers to large and diverse sets of financial data that are used to gain a competitive advantage and offer solutions to business challenges.
What is big data security analytics?
Big data security is the process of using advanced analytics techniques, like machine learning and data mining, to analyze large volumes of data and protect it from theft, attacks, and other malicious activities.
Keeping data safe is so important, especially if your organization stores sensitive or confidential information, such as credit card numbers, contact details, and other personal details. From a financial perspective, a malicious cyber-attack can wreak havoc and lead to losses, fines, sanctions, and litigation costs.
If your data is at risk, the faster you detect and respond to the threat, the better. With the right cyber-security measures, you can automate the process of finding patterns and anomalies in data that could indicate a security breach – and then take action before it gets out of hand.
Sabrinthia Donnelly
How can you leverage big data security analytics?
By leveraging big data security, you can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the potential risks and threats facing the organization.
But how can you lean on this type of security to protect sensitive financial information?
Here are a few of the most common ways modern finance functions leverage big data security analytics:
- Fraud detection and prevention – Finding patterns and anomalies in financial transactions that may indicate fraudulent activity.
- Compliance management – Monitoring and detecting potential compliance violations, such as those related to anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) regulations.
- Cybersecurity – Detecting and responding to possible cybersecurity threats like network intrusions and phishing attacks.
- Insider threat detection – Spotting malicious activity from the inside, such as insider trading or data breaches.
- Risk management – Identifying potential risks to the organization and informing risk management strategies.
How to get started with big data in the finance function
Implementing big data security sounds a lot more intimidating than it is. One of the most common security tools is encryption, which requires a key to unlock the encrypted data and makes it extremely difficult for hackers to access.
Another useful way to protect data is with a solid firewall, which filters all traffic that enters and exists on the server. Firewalls can help prevent attacks by eliminating third parties and other unknown and potentially harmful data sources.
When considering data security measures, keep these three concerns top of mind:
1. Incoming data
2. Data in storage
3. Outputted data
The data security software you choose must be able to effectively protect data throughout the organization, whether it’s being inputted, outputted, or stored.
It’s also important to keep in mind that while big data security analytics can be a powerful tool for organizations to improve their security posture, it also has its limitations.
Brian Kalish
Some pros and cons to consider include:
Pros:
- Improved fraud detection and prevention
- Better compliance management
- Enhanced cybersecurity
- Advanced insider threat detection
- Enhanced risk management
Cons:
- High cost of implementation
- Complexity
- Data quality and accuracy
- Privacy concerns
- False positives and false negatives
To get the most value from big data security analytics, the data must be clean, well-structured, and accurate.
It’s also worth establishing both data governance and data quality standards to help make sure the data is prepared correctly. This involves data cleaning, transformation, and integration.
You should also identify the specific business objectives that you (and senior management) hope to achieve with this technology.
Is the main objective to detect and prevent fraud? Improve compliance management? Or do you simply want to enhance the company’s cybersecurity efforts in general?
Keep the objectives top of mind when choosing what tools to implement. We recommend looking for platforms that are easy to use, integrate well with existing systems, and are customizable to specific requirements.
Final thoughts
It's important to have realistic expectations and to weigh the potential pros and cons before deciding to introduce this type of cybersecurity.
With the right approach, however, big data security analytics can be a valuable tool for finance teams to improve their organization's security posture and protect sensitive financial information.
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