What is Big Data?

Big Data is the term used to describe large amounts of data in volume, velocity, or variety. Protecting Big Data is paramount with the popular trend towards cloud computing and the return of the centralized data centers. This data must be covered by cybersecurity policies.

Experts predict that in 2015 there will be a cybersecurity breach of data so large that it will not be able to be dismissed like the Target Store breach (Bodhani, 2015). Unfortunately, the loss to a large data center may affect hundreds of millions of consumers from hundreds of different sectors. The Federal Government has integrated this method into its strategy with implementing the security measures to go with it.

There are plenty of policy standards and best practices that could prevent such an attack. Unfortunately, the rate of consumers switching to cloud services is far outpacing the rate of congress passing laws. To answer the question of inevitability, no, I do not think it is inevitable. However, I do believe it will take a disaster to happen before the public outcry forces policy makers to act. There are several awareness campaigns that show what the best practices are for consumers to try and protect themselves, but organizations holding the data must also do their part.

Apple estimates it has 27% of the market share of cloud users and boasts 250 million cloud customers. That means there are over a billion consumers using the cloud services of Apple, Amazon, Google, and Dropbox. In my opinion that is putting a lot of trust in a small number of companies.

References

Bodhani, A. (2015). Feeling lucky? Engineering & Technology (17509637), 10(1), 44-47. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.umuc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=100855837&site=eds-live&scope=site