Using big data to strengthen security

The big data phenomenon is important to the private sector because it allows organizations to gather more insight into internal operations as well as external relationships. By analyzing this information, decision-makers can improve efficiency, meet evolving demands and strengthen digital security.

Dark Reading noted that companies should prioritize data quality, as executives and IT teams can be easily overwhelmed by the ever-growing volume of data under their control. If businesses do not have the appropriate analytic tools in place, they will not be able to capture important resources needed to strengthen security.

"Even simple threats can hide in plain site because there is so much noise out there," said Paul Stamp, director of product marketing of RSA, according to Dark Reading.

In some cases, gathering a holistic perspective on the security environment is a challenge because there is just so much to analyze. There is also a lot of "dark space" in most networks that can hide malicious content, Dark Reading stated.

GigaOM said taking a step back and analyzing the risk landscape allows firms to prioritize different security initiatives. By taking this smart approach, organizations will likely be able to use big data to keep mission-critical assets safe in an increasingly malicious digital world.