IBM Guardium Discover and Classify 4.0: A new era of mainframe data discovery and classification.
We're excited to announce the latest version of IBM Guardium Discover and Classify: 4.0. This significant release introduces a suite of powerful new features, including Mainframe Security Posture Management (MSPM) and support for scanning VSAM datasets.
The growing importance of mainframe security posture management (MSPM)
In today’s interconnected digital landscape, mainframes remain the backbone of global enterprises, processing high volumes of sensitive data critical to industries such as finance, healthcare, and retail. Recent studies indicate that 45 of the top 50 banks and 7 of the top 10 global retailers rely on mainframes for mission-critical workloads.67% of Fortune 100 companies depend on mainframes for essential operations.70% of global IT production workloads run on mainframes, handling over 30 billion transactions daily.
Despite their reliability, mainframes face increasing risks due to hybrid deployments and growing cyber threats. Security breaches, such as the Equifax breach in 2017 or the JPMorgan Chase breach in 2014, highlight the devastating consequences of inadequate mainframe security.
These incidents emphasize the need for robust security measures, particularly within mainframe environments. This is where Mainframe Security Posture Management (MSPM) becomes crucial.
Why is Mainframe Security Posture Management essential?
MSPM provides organizations with the necessary tools to continuously monitor, assess, and enhance the security posture of their mainframe environments. It helps mitigate the risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and non-compliance by proactively identifying vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and access control issues in real-time.
In a 2022 survey by Forrester Research, 65% of organizations stated that they were actively working on improving their mainframe security posture, yet 45% admitted that they lacked adequate visibility into the security of their mainframe systems. This gap in security insight leaves many organizations exposed to potential threats.
By adopting MSPM, businesses can not only avoid the risk of catastrophic breaches but also ensure compliance with industry regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS, which often require strict security measures around data access and encryption.
VSAM data unlocked: enhancing discovery with or without copybooks
VSAM (Virtual Storage Access Method) is an essential data storage system used in mainframes to manage large volumes of business-critical data. VSAM datasets are used for storing records such as transaction logs, customer information, and more.
In mainframe systems, VSAM is pivotal for handling large amounts of structured data with high-speed access. Many organizations rely on VSAM to store sensitive data such as financial records, healthcare data, and other mission-critical information. Importantly, VSAM data often uses copybooks, which are predefined data structures that describe the layout of data records. These copybooks are essential for maintaining consistency in data access and processing.
Data discovery and classification in VSAM can be a complex task due to its complex hierarchical structures, and their data is frequently defined by custom copybooks. This can make it difficult to understand the data's content, sensitivity, and potential value.
How IBM Guardium Discover and Classify MSPM addresses VSAM challenges
IBM Guardium Discover and Classify MSPM capability offers a robust solution for handling VSAM datasets:
Copybook mapping: MSPM efficiently maps VSAM datasets to COBOL copybooks to derive metadata and ensure accurate data classification. This ensures proper understanding of complex data structures.
Independent scanning: MSPM also supports the scanning of VSAM datasets without requiring copybooks, using advanced inference mechanisms to identify sensitive information.
Key benefits of IBM Guardium Discover and Classify MSPM:
1. Clear visibility across your systems: Understand exactly where your data is across hybrid, multi-cloud, and mainframe setups. This means you can make better use of your mainframe data, even for cutting-edge AI projects.
2. Fast and straightforward setup: Whether you have copybooks or not, MSPM quickly scans your mainframe datasets (KSDS, RRDS, ESDS, and LDS) and builds a reliable inventory of sensitive data.
3. Know who has access: Ever wondered who can access your sensitive mainframe data? MSPM breaks down Resource Access Control Facility (RACF) permissions to show you exactly that, so you can stay in control.
4. Focus on what matters most: Instead of being overwhelmed by data, MSPM helps you prioritize. It organizes data into business groups, highlights critical areas, and makes it clear what needs protection first.
5. Automatic updates for compliance: Keeping up with governance and reporting can be a challenge. MSPM automates catalog updates, so you’re always audit-ready.
6. Ready for any environment: Designed to handle even high-security, air-gapped installations, MSPM is built to work wherever you need it.
Leveraging IBM Guardium Discover and Classify for mainframe security
Mainframe Security Posture Management empowers organizations to continuously monitor and improve their mainframe security by providing clear visibility into where sensitive data resides and who has access to it. Additionally, the ability to scan VSAM datasets with or without copybooks simplifies the complex task of data discovery and classification, ensuring that sensitive information is properly identified and protected.
By adopting IBM Guardium Discover and Classify 4.0, businesses can prioritize critical data protection efforts, automate compliance reporting, and stay prepared for audits—ultimately strengthening their defenses against evolving cyber threats. In an era where mainframes are integral to global enterprise operations, leveraging such advanced security tools is essential for safeguarding sensitive data, maintaining regulatory compliance, and upholding the trust of customers and stakeholders.