Comparing Enterprise Data Security Solutions? 9 Questions To Ask Vendors

Ransomware attacks have become so prevalent that it’s no longer a question of if your organization will become a target — it’s a question of when.

Eighty-four percent of companies experienced at least one ransomware attack in the past year. Among those that paid the ransom to restore their data, the average payment was $500,000.

With the increase in cybercrime, the number of enterprise data security solutions has grown as well.

And if you’re an IT professional or a chief information security officer, it can feel like you’ve heard from every one of them.

With that in mind, here are 9 questions to consider as you compare your options.

Comparing Enterprise Data Security Solutions? 9 Questions To Ask

Is the solution based on the tenets of Zero Trust security?

The principles of Zero Trust security focus on verifying every user explicitly and granting the lowest level of access necessary for each person to do their jobs. Enterprise data security solutions that follow these principles should authenticate users and deny traffic or access to data by default.

What does your data security solution do to promote cyber resiliency?

The unfortunate reality is that no solution can guarantee protection against every type of ransomware attack. That’s why any technology you implement should focus on cyber resiliency so you can withstand attacks knowing your data will still be safe and able to be restored.

Look for solutions that focus on distributing and encrypting enterprise data in a way that makes it impossible for an attacker to use it while giving you the confidence it will always be available through redundant storage.

How does it integrate with and optimize your existing technology stack?

One of the biggest challenges of protecting data today is that it lives in many different storage environments. Nearly 80% of all enterprise data is unstructured, meaning it doesn’t fit a specific file format. In addition to being more difficult to organize, it’s more difficult to protect. It may be stored on a server, on individual devices, or across several cloud storage vendors.

Enterprise data security solutions don’t always work the same way in every storage environment. They may also be implemented by different departments, creating silos. Building custom integrations can be complicated and costly. Any new solution should integrate seamlessly with your existing architecture.

It should also optimize existing elements of your security framework.

Is the solution designed for your industry’s unique challenges?

Government organizations have different security needs than the financial sector. Schools and universities also have unique risks that make them a greater target for ransomware attacks. Your enterprise data security solution provider should be experienced in dealing with companies with your specific needs and risks.

How do you implement the solution?

Your organization may be considering developing its own in-house enterprise security solution. If so, you should know that the average time to develop, test and deploy one can take 16-21 months. That’s almost two years when you could be vulnerable to data theft or data loss. Investing in a solution that’s already built could be much more efficient and cost-effective, but only if your team is able to implement it quickly.

How much administrative control will we have?

Your organization has its own processes for configuring enterprise storage. Any solution you choose should support that, not disrupt it. Your administrative team should be able to easily add new storage locations, users or devices as needed.

Will your data security solution minimize growing pains?

As a fast-growing organization, you don’t want to implement solutions that will no longer meet your needs a year from now. You also need to account for the fact that employees are working remotely much more frequently than they did just a few years ago. Cloud-based systems typically offer more flexibility than on-premise software, and they’re easier to scale across many locations.

What is the pricing structure?

Any data security system you implement needs to fit your budget, but it’s more important to look at the overall value. Does it have all the functionality you need, or will you pay extra for certain features? Does the security vendor charge for each individual user? How much storage and protection do you get? What training and technology support is included?

Will the solution involve a significant change in user behavior?

It takes time for employees to form new habits. An enterprise data security solution that involves a significant change to their daily routine will require more time for them to adjust. If it’s too difficult, you’ll have low user adoption. Instead, employees may look for a workaround that defeats the purpose of the solution. Look for a solution that elevates data protection and resilience while making it easy for employees to use.

Simplify Enterprise Data Security With Myota

Myota’s converged data protection platform combines the tenets of Zero Trust Architecture, Shamir Secret Sharing, immutable redundant storage, and advanced data dispersion. It goes beyond static, network-based perimeters to focus on users, assets, and resources, keeping your data safe from attacks and rendering your data unusable to attackers through encryption, shredding and dispersion.

It also works with all data storage solutions, doesn’t require any middleware or backups, and is easy for end users. Employees simply drag sensitive documents into a folder on their desktop, and the security and IT team have full administrative control over who has access to them. They can grant permissions based on user, device or storage location and restrict access anytime. To learn more about how it works, request a demo today.