LogLogic, in conjunction with Echelon One, have released the results of a survey on cloud and big data, conducted in January and February of this year. The survey found significant gaps between theory and practice, across industries, with regard to preparation for, and management of, big data and cloud environments.

The survey focused on three topics:

• Big data– Understanding of what the term actually means, and big data management abilities

• Cloud environments– How companies are managing cloud data

• IT Data– Top drivers and methods for managing IT data and logs

Survey respondents comprised security and IT operations professionals across a variety of industries, and at the director level or above, in their respective organizations.

Top Findings

Big Data. The survey shows that there are still a lot of misconceptions about big data. Forty-nine percent said they were somewhat or very concerned about managing big data, and 38 percent acknowledged that they do not have a clear understanding of what big data is. Furthermore, a majority of the respondents, 59 percent, lack the tools required to manage data from their IT systems, resorting to using separate, disparate systems and even spreadsheets. Although the survey did not ask respondents to classify the types of data they manage, 62 percent of the respondents manage over one terabyte of data, and over two-thirds, or 67 percent, said that managing log and IT data was either important or extremely important.

Cloud. The survey uncovered a similar challenge in the respondents’ understanding of managing their cloud environment. Nearly three-quarters, or 72 percent, said they lack the tools to manage data for their existing, and future cloud environments.

Drivers for Managing IT Logs. The survey respondents also identified compliance, security and IT operational efficiency as three of the top four drivers for deploying a log management solution.

“The results show significant inconsistencies in practice. Namely, while big data, cloud needs and compliance requirements are clearly major concerns, the majority of companies are not prepared to deal with any of them adequately,” said Bob West, founder and CEO of Echelon One. “It’s fascinating to see the rift, and the overwhelming percentage of companies surveyed are not prepared to manage big data properly, monitor cloud environments effectively, or report network and device activities properly. These companies are leaving themselves exposed to attacks, making less-than-informed business decisions, and even risking fines from the federal regulatory agencies, for not complying with their requirements.”

“Big data is about many terabytes of unstructured data. Information is power, and big data if managed properly can provide a ton of insight to help deal with security, operational, and compliance issues,” noted Mandeep Khera, chief marketing officer of LogLogic. “Organizations of every size are collecting more data from a variety of sources within the enterprise and the cloud infrastructures, and many organizations are not using the right tools and processes to manage these data. If this pattern continues, we will see enterprises falling farther behind, unable to derive actionable insights, which can help organizations make intelligent decisions.”

Methodology

The LogLogic Big Data and Cloud Survey evaluated 207 survey responses, provided through an independent online survey, and conducted in January and February. Respondents were at the director level or above within their organization, and represented a variety of industries including manufacturing, education, government, finance, health care, transportation, media and publishing, and others.

Review the survey results here.