Security for big data can be complex, particularly since many big data tools were not designed with security in mind. Many big data software frameworks, like Hadoop, use distributed data processing through multiple systems for faster analysis. More systems mean more security issues.
The qualities that make big data so valuable for organizations also make security for big data complex. Massive data volume from a huge variety of internal and external data sources means there are multiple integration points, leaving endpoint vulnerabilities. There’s also variety in data format—structured, semi-structured, and unstructured, and before obtaining insights or employing it for machine learning, it must pass through multiple hands and transformation processes. These things increase the opportunity for a security breach.
Finally, when you have sensitive data—and all organizations do—it can be a challenge to grant access to the data people need since big data tools aren’t typically designed for granular access.