Five Tips for Secure Data Integration

Integration and the security imperative

Data and systems integration have become a core responsibility for IT managers in all but the smallest of organizations. It is just not possible for any business to operate without integrating into all sorts of external systems, including hosted IT services, cloud platforms for distributed computing, online retail marketplaces, web advertising services, credit card transaction systems, and many others. No business is untouched by the proliferation of mobile apps and remote working arrangements.

Planning for and achieving integration is inherently complex. The list of technical issues involved can seem endless. Just to get on-premise systems and cloud computing platforms connected and playing nicely together involves overcoming data type and format incompatibilities, bridging OS and application differences, managing data sharing, and much more.

As if all those factors were not enough to deal with, there is one more imperative that is overlaid upon the entire endeavor: data privacy and security. As you integrate, you must maintain any and all existing safeguards while also ensuring that data privacy and security measures are implemented in every system and at every point of interconnection.

Essentially, the moment you decide to integrate, you commit to opening up a classic Pandora’s Box of detailed security requirements and issues that are, on their own, enough to make any security professional’s head spin.