SafeNet Helps Enterprises Enhance Hadoop Big Data Security

News provided by

SafeNet, Inc.

09 Jul, 2014, 12:30 GMT

-- SafeNet's ProtectFile Enables Organizations to Secure High-value Data in Apache Hadoop Clusters with Seamless, Enterprise-grade Encryption

BALTIMORE, July 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- SafeNet, Inc., a global leader in data protection, today announced the extension of its ProtectFile solution to include the transparent and seamless encryption of sensitive data at rest in Apache Hadoop clusters. With SafeNet's ProtectFile for Linux, organizations that have deployed or are planning to deploy Hadoop to support growing volumes of big data can now secure high-value information without impacting Hadoop performance or the end-user experience.

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While Hadoop provides scalable, cost-effective storage and fast processing of large data sets, securing information in big data implementations presents a significant challenge for organizations. Hadoop stores data in clusters that it distributes across hundreds to thousands of data nodes. However, Hadoop lacks the ability to completely secure the data at rest residing in the nodes of those clusters. Unprotected, each data node represents a potential entry point for a rogue insider or malicious threat, and leaves sensitive data in clear view should an unauthorized user or service gain access. This presents a tremendous, and potentially costly, risk for organizations. 

"Organizations are playing a balancing act between capitalizing on Hadoop's scalability and efficiency to uncover value in big data and protecting high-value information in their implementations," said Todd Moore, vice president, Encryption Products, SafeNet. "With the volume of data that a company generates growing exponentially and the number of breaches on the rise, security must be a priority with Hadoop deployments. ProtectFile enables companies of every size to lock down sensitive data at rest in clusters without impacting Hadoop performance, and can also support compliance mandates, such as PCI DSS and HIPAA, in big data implementations."

ProtectFile for Linux delivers a complete security solution for Hadoop by providing transparent and seamless encryption of sensitive data stored in Apache Hadoop clusters. It presents limited drag on performance and no re-architecting of existing big data implementations is required. ProtectFile features automation tools for fast, easy roll-out and standard deployment to multiple data nodes in a Hadoop cluster. Like other SafeNet encryption and authentication products, ProtectFile provides centralized key and policy management, so organizations have complete control over encryption keys, as well as the ability to define and enforce granular access controls to protect against unauthorized access.

"As is typically the case with emerging technologies, security was not a priority in Hadoop's original conception and design," said Garrett Bekker, senior security analyst, 451 Research.  "However, as more organizations are looking to move Hadoop projects from the proof of concept stage into production, they are increasingly looking for ways to ensure that the sensitive information stored in those Hadoop nodes is protected from prying eyes.  The ability to encrypt data-at-rest that is potentially distributed across thousands of nodes should provide comfort for organizations that are concerned not only about the security of their existing data, but also the proprietary and potentially highly confidential outcomes of their big data experiments." 

In addition to the release of ProtectFile for Linux, SafeNet also announced the availability of an updated version of ProtectFile for Windows that enables the transparent and automated file-system-level encryption of server data in the distributed enterprise in Windows environments.

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About SafeNet, Inc.
Founded in 1983, SafeNet, Inc. is one of the largest information security companies in the world, and is trusted to protect the most sensitive data for market-leading organizations around the globe.  SafeNet's data-centric approach focuses on the protection of high-value information throughout its lifecycle, from the data center to the cloud.  More than 25,000 customers across commercial enterprises and government agencies trust SafeNet to protect and control access to sensitive data, manage risk, ensure compliance, and secure virtual and cloud environments. Learn more about SafeNet on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and Google+.

SafeNet Media Contact:
Amanda Curtis
+1-443-327-1276
amanda.curtis@safenet-inc.com

Anina Steele
+44-1276-608-055
anina.steele@safenet-inc.com