Word of the Day: dark data

Word of the Day Daily updates on the latest technology terms | May 30, 2019 dark data Dark data is digital information that is not being used. Consulting and market research company Gartner Inc. describes dark data as "information assets that an organization collects, processes and stores in the course of its regular business activity, but generally fails to use for other purposes." Many times, an organization may leave data dark for practical reasons. The data may be dirty and by the time it can be scrubbed, the information may be too old to be useful. In such a scenario, records may contain incomplete or outdated data, be parsed incorrectly or be stored in file formats or on devices that have become obsolete. Increasingly, the term dark data is being associated with big data and operational data. Examples include server log files that could provide clues to website visitor behavior, customer call detail records that incorporate unstructured consumer sentiment data and mobile geolocation data that could reveal traffic patterns that would help with business planning. Potentially, this type of dark data can be used to drive new revenue sources, eliminate waste and reduce costs. As a result, many organizations that store dark data for regulatory compliance purposes are using Hadoop to identify useful dark bits and map them to possible business uses. Quote of the Day "If you have the data sitting there and it's not being looked at, that's a lost opportunity for companies to do better with security." - Tim Tully Trending Terms data scrubbing regulatory compliance data backup software dark data center dark storage Learning Center Dark data raises challenges, opportunities for cybersecurity Dark data -- data your organization creates but may be unaware of -- is everywhere. Discover the challenges and opportunities of discovering and using dark data. Big data systems shine light on neglected 'dark data' The processing power of Hadoop and other big data tools is making it more feasible for companies to tap into dark data, information that previously was left untouched in IT systems. Google takes a run at enterprise cloud data management Enterprise cloud data management is getting prime attention, as former Oracle exec Thomas Kurian takes charge of Google's cloud drive. Google Cloud Next 2019 saw deals ranging from pacts with database startups to ones with veteran data management mainstays, all aimed at taming big data on the cloud. Cloud data management, security top of mind for government Federal government data officers and CIOs still grapple with cloud data management, weighing cost and efficiency advantages against security threats and problems moving data back out. Deloitte report reveals the power of unstructured data analytics A new report from Deloitte says businesses should follow the path to the dark side and double down on unstructured data analytics. Quiz Yourself Although most information breaches aren't committed _________, the effects can be just as serious as if there had been a security attack. a. purposely b. purposefully Answer Stay in Touch For feedback about any of our definitions or to suggest a new definition, please contact me at: mrouse@techtarget.com Visit the Word of the Day Archives and catch up on what you've missed! FOLLOW US About This E-Newsletter This e-newsletter is published by the TechTarget network. To unsubscribe from Whatis.com, click here. Please note, this will not affect any other subscriptions you have signed up for. TechTarget, Whatis, 275 Grove Street, Newton, MA 02466. Contact: webmaster@techtarget.com Copyright 2018 TechTarget. All rights reserved.