Data is the New Oil: What Data Scientists Can Do for Cyber Security
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As data breaches and cyber security threats continue to grow, organizations need to develop new strategies to protect their sensitive data. Companies that have implemented data scientist roles have been more successful at protecting sensitive information. In this article, we will cover the value of data for cyber security, the importance of data scientist roles for cyber security strategy, and what you need to know about adding a data scientist role to your organization.
What Data Can Do for Cyber Security
Data is the foundation of all business decisions; organizations that understand the value of their data are better able to protect it. Data scientists are uniquely trained to help organizations understand and utilize their data, which can help with cyber security strategies. Data scientists' skills in data visualization, data analytics, and artificial intelligence are particularly valuable for data-driven cybersecurity strategies.
Visualization: Data visualization is the process of turning raw data into charts, graphs, and other visuals that humans can understand and use. Visualizations can be particularly valuable for organizations whose data scientists are visual learners i.e. people who learn better from looking at data than from reading reports. Visualizations are a great way to quickly see patterns in data and identify any potential problems.
Data analytics: Data analytics is the process of evaluating large datasets for patterns and associations. Data scientists use a variety of tools and techniques to identify trends, spot anomalies, and ultimately use that information to make better decisions. Analytics are helpful in many areas of cyber security, including identifying which data is most sensitive and which systems hold that data.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is a focus of data science that has received a lot of attention in the last few years. AI is a branch of computer science that deals with building systems that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. AI is particularly useful for finding patterns in large datasets that humans might miss. AI can be used to help identify cyber security threats, identify data that needs protection, and even predict future cyber security threats.
Importance of Data Science Roles
Data science roles have become increasingly important to business in recent years. Organizations that have added data science roles are better able to understand their data and make data-driven decisions. Data scientists are particularly important to businesses where data security is a major concern.
IT Security: Companies that rely heavily on IT systems to store, transmit, and process their data are particularly at risk for cyber security threats, including data breaches and ransomware attacks. Data scientists can help identify the most sensitive data, find ways to protect it, and determine
how and where to store it. They can also help to monitor traffic across the network, which can help to identify potential threats before they become serious problems.
Marketing: In the marketing world, data scientists can help determine
the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, identify the best customers to market to, and even create AI systems to automate certain marketing tasks. While AI is still in its early stages, marketing data scientists can play a critical role in helping AI systems to mature and become more efficient.
What Data Scientists Can Do for Your Organization
If you expect data scientists to sit alone in a lab, crunching numbers for days, you will be very disappointed. Data scientists are highly skilled and analytical people who are trained to communicate findings to a variety of audiences.
Data scientists are trained in a wide variety of tools and techniques but excel at using data visualization, data analytics, and artificial intelligence. Data scientists can help your organization in three key ways. Data scientists can help protect sensitive data, especially in the wake of GDPR, by finding ways to encrypt data, send it securely, and store it in a way that limits access to authorized users. Data scientists can help you make better business decisions, including determining which data is the most sensitive, which systems hold that data, and who has access to it. Data scientists
can also help you implement AI systems to automate certain business tasks and be more efficient. Finally, data scientists can help you prepare for emerging cybersecurity threats. Data scientists can determine what types of attacks are most common, how cybercriminals are breaching systems, and how your systems can be improved.
Three key things to know about adding a data scientist role
— Data scientists are not IT specialists: Data scientists do not specialize in technology. If you need help with your systems, you may want to hire one or more data engineers.
— Data scientists are not security specialists: Data scientists do not specialize in security. If you need help keeping your data safe, you may want to hire one or more data security specialists.
— Data scientists are not business analysts: Data scientists do not specialize in business functions. If you need help with your business processes, you may want to hire one or more business analysts.
Data scientists have a wide variety of skills but they are not necessarily an all-in-one solution to all of your data needs. If you hire a data scientist, make sure you have a clear understanding of the types of work they will be doing and who else will be needed to complete other tasks.
Bottom line
The value of data should not be overlooked. Data scientists can help your organization identify sensitive data, find ways to protect it, and determine how and where to store it. Data scientists can also help you make better business decisions and prepare for emerging cybersecurity threats. If your company has been struggling to protect sensitive data and make data-driven decisions, hiring a data scientist could be just what you need.
