Digital Transformation
Solution by Topic
Digital transformation is a pivotal step for many organizations, revamping their operational structures and technological frameworks to thrive in the modern digital economy. However, during global enterprise resource planning (ERP) consolidation or data migration projects, organizations must make sure internal controls and data access policies are enforced before, during, and after the project is complete. With systems, applications, and data migrating to the cloud, it has become necessary to move to a data-centric security model instead of a network-centric model.
What will data-centric security look like over the next 5 years?
Explore why data security needs a fresh look to meet the demands of the hyper-digital age
SAP Global Consolidation
Learn how to accelerate ERP consolidation with dynamic authorization- ensuring compliance and meeting security requirements effectively
NIST ABAC Overview
Discover how NextLabs partnered with NCCoE to address the challenge of implementing Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC)
IT Consolidation & Application Security Risks
As systems, applications, and data move from on-prem environments to cloud or hybrid environments, new cloud security solutions are needed. On top of securing data, the solutions must maintain operational efficiency and business continuity.
Cloud Adoption Challenges
In the process of updating and replacing legacy IT systems, large volumes of data may be compromised, corrupted, or lost during transition. This vulnerability can stem from noncompatible data formats and inadequate planning.
Securing Data in Digital Collaboration and Big Data
System consolidation projects lead to an integrated, multi-user environment, which has more individuals requiring access to the same systems. This compounds the risk of unauthorized access and requires dynamic data segregation controls.
Outsourcing and Offshoring
Some A&D companies are hesitant to leverage outsourcing or offshoring due to the lack of technology to address concerns about inconsistent or inadequate global data protection regulations, leading to higher costs and reduced competitiveness. However, to stay competitive in the global market, there is a growing interest in outsourcing and offshoring to improve efficiency and lower costs. Sharing proprietary information with external entities increases the risk of unauthorized access or disclosure, highlighting the need for a data-centric security approach to protect data regardless of its location.
Secure Digital Transformation with a Data-Centric Approach
To overcome the challenge surrounding digital transformation projects which include migration to Cloud, IT transformation, and system consolidation, organizations need to implement data segregation controls and strict access controls based on the principal of least privilege to prevent unauthorized access. The approach should contain the following elements:
Establish Strict Access Policies
Policies ensure that information is shared and accessed securely and only when necessary, allowing organizations can maintain clear boundaries between various systems and datasets, ensuring the safety and integrity of data throughout the digital transformation process.
Persistent Data Protection
In digital transformation, a data-centric security approach is vital for consistent protection from data creation to disposal. By implementing data-centric security controls such as encryption, access controls, and classification, enterprises can ensure the security of sensitive data throughout the process.
Continuous Monitoring and Visibility
On top of preventative measures, continuous monitoring is crucial for detecting and responding to security incidents. Enterprises must have real-time visibility into their data access activity to identify and respond to potential threats.
Compliance Auditing
Compliance audits should cover data security policies, data access controls, data handling procedures, and employee training. By regularly auditing their data security practices, organizations can identify and address vulnerabilities in their security controls.
NextLabs Solution
CloudAz Centralized Policy Platform
CloudAz applies the zero trust principles to secure access and protect data across silos using attribute-based policies. CloudAz secures resources by eliminating implicit trust and verifying every stage of a digital interaction. This reduces the risk of cyber-attacks and external adversaries in this sector where national security and proprietary technologies are of prime importance.
SkyDRM Digital Rights Management
Many A&D sensitive technologies and designs are stored in PLM or CAD applications, underscoring the need to protect data in PLM and CAD. SkyDRM enables seamless global sharing of valuable intellectual property from PLM applications, such as Siemens Teamcenter and Bentley ProjectWise, with real-time access and usage controls. Furthermore, it can protect the rights of CAD files, such as AutoCAD and PTC Creo, ensuring organizations share critical information securely with third parties, including offshore, outsourced, and supply chain partners.
Data Access Enforcer (DAE) Data-Level Security Controls
DAE enforces “need-to-know” data access at runtime using fine-grained attribute-based policies. DAE provides dynamic data masking and segregation capabilities compatible with cross-domain policies. By dynamically segregating data based on policies, data can only be viewed by authorized users with permitted access. The content can also be modified according to attribute-based policies with data masking, and with format preserving encryption (FPE) capabilities, confidential information such as export controlled data can be protected even if shared with unauthorized users.
Application Enforcer
In the A&D industry, valuable information is often shared internally or externally with vendors and contractors via various applications such as SharePoint and SAP. NextLabs’ Application Enforcer for SharePoint automates information controls by identifying, classifying, and persistently protecting data uploaded to SharePoint, even after it leaves the application. This supports a collaborative culture and governance process that enables secure sharing of information with external parties. NextLabs’ Application Enforcer for SAP ERP enforces real-time segregation of duties policies to prevent single individuals from controlling all process phases or transactions, safeguarding sensitive SAP data and meeting compliance needs.
CloudAz Report Server
CloudAz simplifies audit processes with centralized logging and reporting of all data access activity and authorization decisions. Reports also notify project managers and team members whenever a user tries to export classified data outside of the export-regulated project collaboration locations. Centralized visibility enables organizations to prevent non-compliance activities and maintain comprehensive reporting for audit and compliance purposes.
Challenges
Migration to Cloud
As systems, applications, and data move from on-prem environments to cloud or hybrid environments, new cloud security solutions are needed. On top of securing data, the solutions must maintain operational efficiency and business continuity.
A 2022 Radware survey highlights that 70% of organizations are not confident in their ability to secure their applications consistently across multiple cloud environments.
Legacy Systems
In the process of updating and replacing legacy IT systems, large volumes of data may be compromised, corrupted, or lost during transition. This vulnerability can stem from noncompatible data formats and inadequate planning.
Data integrity refers to the accuracy, consistency, and completeness of data as it is maintained over time and across different formats, which is put at risk during digital transformation
System Consolidation
System consolidation projects lead to an integrated, multi-user environment, which has more individuals requiring access to the same systems. This compounds the risk of unauthorized access and requires dynamic data segregation controls.
In a consolidated system, Segregation of Duties (SoD) is crucial for ensuring that no single person is completely in control of a task and preventing fraud.
Secure Digital Transformation with a Data-Centric Approach
To overcome the challenge surrounding digital transformation projects which include migration to Cloud, IT transformation, and system consolidation, organizations need to implement data segregation controls and strict access controls based on the principal of least privilege to prevent unauthorized access. The approach should contain the following elements:
Establish Strict Access Policies
Policies ensure that information is shared and accessed securely and only when necessary, allowing organizations can maintain clear boundaries between various systems and datasets, ensuring the safety and integrity of data throughout the digital transformation process.
Persistent Data Protection
In digital transformation, a data-centric security approach is vital for consistent protection from data creation to disposal. By implementing data-centric security controls such as encryption, access controls, and classification, enterprises can ensure the security of sensitive data throughout the process.
Continuous Monitoring and Visibility
On top of preventative measures, continuous monitoring is crucial for detecting and responding to security incidents. Enterprises must have real-time visibility into their data access activity to identify and respond to potential threats.
Compliance Auditing
Compliance audits should cover data security policies, data access controls, data handling procedures, and employee training. By regularly auditing their data security practices, organizations can identify and address vulnerabilities in their security controls.
Automation & Breach Prevention
Digital policies can be automatically applied to multiple systems and hundreds of devices, preventing breaches before they even happen and reducing data security risks.
NextLabs Solution
Robust Data-Security Policies
NextLabs’ unified policy management platform, Cloud Az, enables companies to create, implement, and enforce comprehensive data security policies. CloudAz allows companies to define Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC) security policies that are evaluated and enforced dynamically at that time of the access request. The policies can apply the regulatory controls applicable to the user, data, and environment in real-time.
Data-Centric Security
NextLabs solutions provide data-centric security controls that protect sensitive data at all times, regardless of its location. These solutions can encrypt data at rest and in transit, control data access based on policies, and apply dynamic data masking to protect sensitive data. Companies can define and enforce granular data access policies based on user roles, locations, and devices.
Centralized Real-Time Monitoring
CloudAz’s centralized monitoring provides real-time visibility into data activity and events. This allows organizations to monitor data access and data usage to detect potential security incidents. CloudAz can provide alerts based on security policies, enabling rapid response to security incidents.
Smart Audit & Report
CloudAz provides centralized auditing and reporting capabilities that enable companies to demonstrate compliance and ensure the integrity of their data security policies. Compliance reports can include data access, data handling, policy enforcement, and insights into potential security gaps.
Automation with Preventative Controls
With dynamic authorization and ABAC, the NextLabs platform automates the enforcement of data access policies, improving data security by reflecting changes in attribute values immediately and reducing the cost of policy management.
