What is data platform security auditing?
Table of Contents
Definition of data platform security auditing
Data platform security auditing reviews the security of your data platform and provides recommendations for improvements.
Executive view
Keeping your data platform secure is vital to ensuring that your organisation is compliant, that your customers’ data is protected from theft, and that your assets and intellectual property are properly hidden.
Data platform security auditing helps businesses:
to ensure compliance.
to protect customer data.
to protect assets and intellectual property.
Business function leader view
Data platform security auditing helps teams to ensure that their data and business intelligence is protected.
You may need this service if:
- your team is using a data platform to gain insights that drive decision-making.
KPIs you should consider measuring for this are:
improved security measures on your data platform
reduced costs associated with data loss and corruption
Technical view
Data platform security auditing will provide you with a complete overview of areas of your data platform that are at risk. Data breaches may occur at the point of entry of data, within the storage solution of your data platform, or at the point of access across your organisation. Data platform security auditing will identify these areas of risk and provide recommendations to ensure that your data, models and business intelligence are fully protected.
Data platform security auditing helps deliver:
improved data security on your data platform.
improved scalability of your data platform.
Get this service if you encounter:
data platform security breaches.
a lack of security measures in place for your data platform, or lack of confidence in the adequacy of security measures.
a need to demonstrate data platform security to third parties, such as customers or regulators.
Key criteria to consider are:
What security measures are currently in place on your data platform?
Do you have the resources to implement improvements recommended by an audit?
Who will need access to the report generated by the audit, and what is their level of technical understanding?
FAQs
What is Data platform security in metals manufacturing?
Metals manufacturers hold data that is commercially sensitive and operationally critical. Mill certificates, customer specifications, pricing agreements, quality records, and production plans represent both intellectual property and contractual obligations. A data platform security failure in a manufacturing business can mean more than a regulatory fine — it can mean loss of competitive advantage, breach of contract, and damage to customer relationships that have taken years to build.
For manufacturers that supply to defence, aerospace, energy, or pharmaceutical industries, data platform security is often a contractual requirement. Customers in these sectors typically require evidence of adequate security measures as part of the supplier qualification process. A data platform security audit provides that evidence in a form that can be shared with customers and regulators.
What are the common security vulnerabilities in manufacturing data platforms?
Manufacturing data platforms often accumulate security vulnerabilities through historical decisions that made sense at the time but create risk in the current environment:
- Access control drift: As staff change roles or leave, permissions that were appropriate at one time remain in place. Regular access reviews should be part of any audit.
- Unencrypted data in transit: Legacy integrations between systems often use protocols that do not encrypt data in transit, creating interception risks.
- Inadequate backup and recovery: Operational data that cannot be recovered in the event of a system failure or ransomware attack creates both operational and regulatory risk.
- Weak authentication: Single-factor authentication on systems holding sensitive manufacturing data is inadequate by current standards.
A data platform security audit identifies these vulnerabilities systematically and provides a prioritised remediation plan.