These two things, big data, and cybersecurity, often go hand-in-hand. Big Data is defined as “a collection of data sets so large and complex that it becomes difficult to process using on-hand database management tools or traditional data processing applications.” This definition can be applied to both cyber attacks and cyber security defense. Having a bigger attack surface means having more opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit. This is why organizations need to apply an enterprise-wide approach toward understanding how their information flows from endpoints to the cloud, across the network, and between the different cloud providers being used. Understanding all this information at scale makes big data so valuable for managing cybersecurity and thwarting cyber attacks.

Here are eight things you should know about Big Data and cybersecurity.

1: Big Data Will Transform Cybersecurity In The Future

Cybersecurity is becoming more advanced than ever before, and it’s all thanks to the ability to collect data at scale. Big data analytics will transform cybersecurity as we know it today and make everyone’s digital life safer. That is why many cybersecurity experts are currently focusing their efforts on designing new technologies that can integrate with existing systems to take full advantage of the massive amounts of data they collect daily without disrupting business operations across different departments. By using big data security management, organizations can identify cybercriminals and prevent them from carrying out their attacks by utilizing predictive analytics.

2: Big Data Will Make The Economy More Vibrant And Resilient

It’s not just cybersecurity that benefits from the increased usage of big data – every sector of the economy could potentially benefit from using this type of technology. For example, retail companies rely on customer analytics software to turn large amounts of transactional and behavioral data into meaningful information about what their customers like and want. This allows businesses to improve product placement, generate personalized marketing campaigns and increase revenue while satisfying consumer needs. Companies, in general, will be able to make more accurate decisions thanks to reduced time-to-market and risk assessments which will ultimately lead to a more vibrant and resilient economy.

3: Your Digital Footprint Reveals Where Your Whereabouts

Individuals and organizations also use extensive data analysis to track and analyze an individual’s digital footprint. This technology is prevalent; nearly everyone has a cell phone that generates vast amounts of location data, even when GPS tracking is turned off because cell phone towers triangulate your position using cellular signals. While this technology can be used legitimately by parents to monitor the whereabouts of young or help locate lost or stolen cell phones, it presents a significant privacy concern when used illegally. Criminals can track any cell phone they wish without physically possessing the device. Many burglaries are now being committed because criminals exploit this technology to determine which homes present the least risk of an occupant presence during their crime.

4: Your Online Shopping Is All Too Easy To Track

While the number of companies using big data analytics for commercial purposes increases, concerns about how this will affect consumer privacy. Companies like Google and Facebook have access to massive amounts of personal information to target online ads. Still, this type of advertising is getting more invasive by the day. For example, Google has partnered with Mastercard to start tracking consumer purchases made offline in brick and mortar stores so that retailers will be able to market their goods directly to customers as they walk into each store. The worrisome thing about this partnership is that customers who sometimes prefer not to share their purchase history online still have no way of knowing how much information these companies hold on them.

5: Cybersecurity Professionals Need Big Data Analytics To Fight Cybercrime

Cybersecurity experts need big data analytics and other technology tools such as malware analysis software and protocol (IP) forensics systems to identify security threats and hackers. A 2012 study by Cisco showed that 60% of cybersecurity professionals consider big data the most potent weapon in their fight against cybercrime. By using analytics software, for example, they can store large amounts of network data and correlate it with other pieces of information such as server logs and firewall activity to determine hacker entry points or locate anomalous activity.

6: Big Data Is Already Changing The Way We Do Business

The widespread adoption of big data analytics is already changing how businesses operate worldwide. Companies can increase their market share by targeting customers with personalized offers based on what they are most likely to respond to using predictive analytics software. It has been estimated that companies that rely on real-time personalized marketing to display ads based on shopping habits will generate up to three times more revenue than those who do not use this type of technology. Big data is also being used to predict the future demand for certain products, enabling companies to stockpile what people need before realizing they want it.

7: The Government Is Also Using Big Data Analytics To Fight Cybercrime

The fact that governments’ big data usage has become widespread should not come as a surprise. Intelligence data flows through a complex system known as the Insight Data Processing System (IDPs) every day. Many government organizations and other cybersecurity professionals rely heavily on this type of technology and intend to expand its use in the future as its capabilities continue improving every year. The U.S. government has been especially active in adopting big data software to help keep the nation safe, which is why an estimated 60% of all U.S.

8: Big Data Analytics Will Boost Cybersecurity For Everyone

The increasing use of big data analytics will adversely affect individual privacy. Still, it will also benefit cybersecurity overall by improving threat detection and minimizing victimization rates for both organizations and individuals across the board. The massive amount of personal data being collected today enables security experts to detect zero-day malware and other types of generic cybercrime faster than ever before. This means you will have a much lower chance of being hacked or becoming a victim of other cybercrimes.

Big data analytics is set to change how cybersecurity works in the future. There will be challenges ahead for organizations and individuals regarding big data’s role in fighting cybercrime. Still, without a doubt, everyone will benefit overall from the increased use of this technology.