Technology Consumerization

Data Protection Should Follow the Risk

Posted by Patrick Wheeler in Consumerization Mar 12th, 2013 | one response

The convergence of consumerization, BYOD, and cloud computing is a phenomenon difficult to describe in a few words. I’ve heard IT managers call it “a perfect storm” — and there’s some truth to that. However, I just found the most accurate, blog-worthy description in a new IDC Analyst Connection. Analyst Phil Hochmuth states, “All these trends might be summed up in a single megatrend:  the introduction of untrusted end-user environments in the enterprise.”  It’s spot-on. And in the same sentence, Hochmuth cleverly identifies where we should focus: END USERS! Sensitive company and customer data, financial information, and trade secrets are in the hands of your employees who are using laptops, tablets, and smartphones. And they are using these devices to access, save, and share your company data on Dropbox, Google Docs, and other cloud services.

“Faced with these trends, organizations are moving security closer to end users and their point of interaction with company data,” says Hochmuth. “Data protection technologies should live almost everywhere in the network and on almost every type of IT asset where sensitive data could traverse or be stored.”

This is exactly why, at Trend Micro, we’ve been talking about “Complete End-User Protection.” To address the risks associated with consumerization, BYOD, and the cloud, enterprise data security must change. The old device-centric approach has become too cumbersome to manage and leaves security gaps.

Only multilayered data-centric security deployed across mobile devices, endpoints, email, and gateway can protect your data wherever end users access it—on any device, any app, any access point. Sounds complicated?  It doesn’t have to be. Very few organizations actually need the capabilities of large (and expensive) overlay solutions that require separate management. The key to lowering IT costs and effort is to integrate data security within your existing security infrastructure.

Does integrated data security make sense for your organization? Let us know in the comments!

 

 

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  • jaysreynolds

    Its always a good idea to assess your systems for weak points every so often. Technology is rapidly advancing and creating new ways around data protection measures. Furthermore, consumer protection is an utmost priority with the rapidly increasing transfer of personal data as the internet becomes more and more prevalent