Data security: 8 things you need to look for in your data management platform

Data security isn't just a trend to modern businesses: it's a necessity. Beyond damage to your reputation and lengthy recovery times, data breaches can result in hefty regulatory fines.

Indeed, 2021 saw the highest average data breach cost in 17 years. The amount currently stands at $4.24 million per breach.

Of course you want to avoid these data security incidents as much as possible. Not just for your own sake, but for the safety of your clients and customers, too.

So when looking for a data management platform, you need to be sure you're selecting the right option.

8 data management platform security essentials

We understand that it can be all too tempting to choose a platform based on its features alone, so to help you out we've listed eight security features to look out for.

1. Vendor security

If your use case demands a high level of security, you should scrutinize any vendors you considering working with (that means data center locations, their security policies, etc.). Alternately, you can run it on your own and eliminate the third party.

If you go for on-premise, you’ll also need skilled staff to ensure your systems are secure. For cloud self-hosted, you’ll (again) have to scrutinize the cloud provider and you'll need sufficient cloud security skills on your team.

2. User authentication

Typically, you’ll want to choose a platform with LDAP and SAML protocol support.

You also want to have a centralized directory of users and their permissions, and you want a platform that supports such an arrangement well, i.e. it has support for the latest versions of LDAP and SAML.

3. Minimal data handling

On the topic of data security, you'll also want to make sure your data platform handles your data sparingly.

The more personal data the platform stores, the higher the risk.

Ideally, the enterprise data management platform you choose shouldn't store your data. Rather, you want it to be a ‘pass through’ point.

For example, CloverDX doesn’t need you to upload or move the data somewhere – it can connect to data directly, locally and remote. Then, you don’t need to create working copies of data. What’s more, CloverDX won’t store hidden temp files. That’s because it can be set up to work in an in-memory only manner.

CloverDX does store job metadata. And it’s built to be cautious about logging sensitive information or data in log files – your data won’t accidentally end up in a system log file.

4. File deletion

Under normal operation, a data pipeline generates some intermediate files, whether it’s system temp files or some intermediaries that are designed into the pipeline, e.g. restartability.

However, a great platform gives you the tools to manage these files so that you have a sustainable environment that continuously self-cleans.

5. Secure connection support

It's important to find a platform with the ability to consistently connect to various data sources in a secure way.

Yes, it's great if your platform is secure in itself; however, if its connectors don’t support secure connections, it’s probably not the best option.

6. Password handling

With compromised passwords taking the responsibility for 81 percent of hacking-related breaches, it's essential to prioritize best-practice password handling.

Although it’s unlikely, it’s worth checking that your platform does not store passwords in plaintext.

If they store any individual or master passwords, these should be anonymized. At CloverDX, we salt, hash, or encrypt passwords.

7. Complete data security transparency

Beyond the technicalities, you'll also need to look at the people behind the platform. Do they have a strong commitment to data security? Are they transparent about their processes and product online?

When scoping out their website, look for evidence of:

• Release notes. You want to know your platform cares about updating, patching and securing their product.
• Security announcements and feedback loops. Does the platform announce known security flaws and fixes? If not, how can you tell they closely monitor their platform and the impact it could have on you?

Behind every secure piece of software, you need to have a security-conscious team of people who are happy to answer any questions you have about security (or anything else).

8. Check the reviews

Did you know that the average consumer reads 10 online reviews before making a purchase decision?

Naturally, you'll want to make the right choice when picking a data management platform. Beyond features, pricing, scalability and so on, you'll also need to ensure the platform is secure.

Case studies and reviews will help you piece together a better, more balanced perspective of the platforms. If you find a plethora of negative reviews that mention faults, security incidents, slow fixes or similar, you'll know what to avoid.

Ideally, the right data management platform should be trusted and praised by many businesses for its security.

Find the right platform for the job

With data breaches rising and data regulations becoming more demanding, it's never been more important to thoroughly check the security of your software stack.

We hope the eight tips we've shared will help you on your journey to choosing the right data management platform.

If you'd like to learn more about how we secure our platform, CloverDX, as well as our own security commitments, read our guide.