Overview of BigID
BigID is a comprehensive data intelligence and discovery platform designed to help organizations manage, govern, and protect their data across various environments. Here’s a detailed look at what BigID does and its key features:
Core Functionality
BigID’s primary function is to automatically discover, catalog, classify, and manage all types of data, whether it is structured, unstructured, or semi-structured. This includes data residing in on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments, as well as data within databases, file systems, cloud storage, and data warehouses.
Key Features
Data Discovery and Inventory
BigID can automatically discover and inventory sensitive and personal data across multiple data sources, providing a complete view of an organization’s data assets. This includes scanning over 100 different data sources, such as unstructured data in files, emails, and cloud storage like S3 buckets and Salesforce notes.
Data Classification
The platform uses machine learning (ML) and advanced classification techniques to categorize data based on its sensitivity, such as personally identifiable information (PII) or financial data. It includes over 100 out-of-the-box RegEx and ML-based Named Entity Recognition (NER) classifiers, and allows for custom classifications and integration with other data loss prevention (DLP), digital rights management (DRM), and data asset management (DAM) systems.
Data Mapping and Data Flow Analysis
BigID maps data flows to track data movement across systems, helping organizations understand data relationships and identify potential risks. This feature is crucial for compliance and risk management, as it provides visibility into how data is used and shared.
Data Access Control and Security
The platform enforces access controls based on data sensitivity, ensuring that data is only accessible to authorized users. It also includes features like data risk scoring, file access intelligence, and breach data analysis to transform data security and reduce the risk posture.
Compliance and Regulatory Management
BigID aids in compliance with various data privacy regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and CPRA by identifying and managing personal data, supporting subject access requests (SAR), and monitoring data usage. It also facilitates Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) to assess and mitigate privacy risks.
Data Governance
The platform reimagines data governance by providing efficient, consistent, and scalable data governance through ML-prompted validation. This includes data cataloging, data quality management, data stewardship, and data retention management, all integrated into a single platform.
Data Retention and Lifecycle Management
BigID helps manage data retention policies and ensures compliance with data retention requirements. It also provides tools for data deletion and remediation, allowing organizations to kick off deletion workflows and confirm data erasure.
Third-Party Risk Management
The platform assesses and manages third-party data risks by identifying sensitive data shared with external parties and monitoring these data exchanges.
Advanced Reporting and Analysis
BigID offers advanced reporting and analysis capabilities, including native reporting, executive reports, and integrations with tools like Tableau and ELK. This enables organizations to leverage advanced reporting APIs for detailed insights into their data.
Architecture and Technology
BigID uses a combination of data intelligence, machine learning, and data correlation techniques to identify and manage sensitive data. The platform follows a data pipeline architecture that includes data collection, intelligence and profiling, classification, mapping, and access control. This architecture allows for the automatic population of catalogs, metadata enrichment, and the application of active metadata to detect changes and trigger events.
In summary, BigID is a powerful tool for organizations seeking to gain comprehensive visibility and control over their data. Its robust features in data discovery, classification, compliance, security, and governance make it an essential platform for managing data in today’s complex and regulated data environments.