BigID Next Reviews

I work in an area focused on data protection. Currently, in my practice, more than five to six projects use BigID.

In the client's data source, there may be sensitive information. Each country has its own data protection laws and encryption standards. We scanned every database using BigID, both structured and unstructured. 

After scanning, we could properly categorize the data and identify sensitive information. BigID has built-in functions that show where the data is. We sent this information to the client with suggestions for suitable encryption standards for their specific data, whether it's plain text or encrypted.

My organization had a joint venture with BigID, which is the main reason we chose it. Another reason is the support from the BigID team. BigID has frequent updates compared to other products and provides a dedicated support team for developers. 

We can integrate any new product via API connection into ticketing, even if the product is not well-known or brand new. We can also easily update to the latest version or choose an older version if needed. 

These updates can be done independently, without relying on a standard technician or developer. BigID is flexible, so we can upgrade our services as needed, allowing consultants to manage the tasks.

Data discovery capabilities:

BigID offers different scan types for data discovery. The most powerful one is the full scan, which scans both data and metadata. However, the metadata scan is faster in comparison. 

For instance, if a scan is estimated to take three or four days, and it lags behind on the second day, we can skip that module and resume with other modules without disrupting the ongoing scan.

Even if the scan is 90% complete, we can export the data and begin our process. The e-discovery feature has been very useful for us.

The main use cases involve APM integrations, allowing us to accommodate queries with the necessary tools seamlessly. 

Another advantage is the ability to process millions of data points quickly using various scan types like full scan and metadata scan, which are adaptable to our specific needs. These scan types are highly beneficial and offer more flexibility compared to similar products with standard scan options. 

Additionally, BigID's Redex operations enable us to create new rules and run scans across different data sources, tailored to our specific use cases. In our case, we primarily utilize it to scan client data sources.

Features that helped to enhance the data governance aspect:

• I like the predefined sensitive information labels in BigID. They are not generic; for example, for PHI information, they specify exactly what PHI terms to scan for. 
• Additionally, BigID offers data protection loss-wise options, and we can add our own labels using InfoMetrics as needed. 
• The BigID support team is also crucial. They have weekly sync-up calls to help us resolve any issues we encounter with the product promptly. This level of support is very important. 

These security labels, in particular, are a significant reason why many organizations, including ours, prefer BigID. The security labels are indeed very useful.

The interface has been updated and looks good. Earlier, it was bit outdated. 

One concern I have with BigID is regarding certain scans, like the multi-scan. The issue is that we can stop and retrieve these scans, but once they start, they go through an enumeration process. This process doesn't show an exact timeline, so we can't estimate its duration. In previous versions, I believe there was an estimated time for this process, but the new update seems to have removed it.

The other concern is the price. The comprehensive support and features come at a premium cost. Additionally, deployment and access for all users could be improved. Currently, it seems to be centralized, and perhaps it could be deployed for individual devices as well.

I worked on a six-month project with BigID. It's a dedicated tool for scanning structured and unstructured data.

I've switched projects recently, but I used BigID until a month and a half ago. However, I still have some BigID certifications and frequently use it for API integration and other tasks.

I had no issues with the stability. The reason being BigID provides comprehensive onboarding, including learning resources, URLs, and virtual training, allowing us to gain hands-on experience in a replica environment before using the production version. 

There is also a BigID certification program to ensure proficiency. We utilize this training environment for testing and experimentation before applying it in production. This approach is efficient and helps familiarize users with the product. BigID is user-friendly and easy to use, not complicated.

While we use the product, once the data nodes are all completed, we need to export the data and use Power BI, Tableau, or Looker Studio to visualize it. The data is not readily available in a presentable format, which is time-consuming and a limitation.

It won't be in Excel or a similar format; it will be available for presentation to clients. We need to explore the data and do a few things. That's because it's time-consuming and a limitation of BigID. 

But in a recent update, BigID integrated with Looker Studio. At the time of data conversion and application, it wasn't responding well. I think we can now handle it inside BigID itself. Anyway, that was an issue, but right now, it's fine.  

We have console support from the team. If we are unable to implement something within the product, we can ask them, and they will add the feature. So, I don't feel any limitations in what we are currently doing, such as e-discovery processes for structured and unstructured data. 

BigID supports all data types, complies with various laws and standards that enables sensitive information, and allows customization, including creating our own labels. I don't feel any kind of limitations. 

BigID's customer service support have two levels of support. Initially, the developer assigned to our cloud instance provides technical assistance. If they cannot resolve the issue at the UI level, they involve a second-layer developer. 

However, with a higher subscription, we only receive developer support for a limited time, like two or three months. After that, additional support requires an extra charge. Despite this, the support has been good so far, and they always find a solution for our issues.

Most organizations use Microsoft Purview, and many of our clients have licenses for it. Being a Microsoft product, it has advantages. 

With BigID, we need to pull data from sources and integrate it before scanning. If it's a Microsoft product and the data amount is small, we can replace it. Microsoft Purview can automatically identify data without the need for extensive scans.

Since it is a cloud-based product, they have a separate server assigned for deployment. They provide virtual machines based on our recommendations, and their technical team handles everything. 

We don't need to do anything technical; we just use the URL they provide, along with our credentials in Autologics, to access and use the scans. It's a very simple process.

Timeframe to set up this product: 

The deployment itself took about three to four hours minimum. The total time depends on the number of data tools linked and the amount of data. I wasn't part of the initial deployment, but in my experience, it can take around three to six hours.

Maintenance:

The maintenance provided by the BigID team. They offer two different packages. We opted for the higher-priced option, which includes software services, automatic upgrades, and fixes. 

With the lower-priced option, manual updates with scripts are required. However, I recently heard that they now provide everything through their executive team, which is a good upgrade.

We use BigID for our reviews, and our organization has a joint venture with them. We use other tools as well, such as Microsoft Purview, alongside BigID. However, BigID performs better due to its superior API integration capabilities.

It is used in an MNC. But, based on my research, it is competitively priced compared to market standards. It is worth the money.

Compared to other products, more people are familiar with BigID. BigID was not as familiar to some people working with technologies because it was used by a closed group. The BigID support team is doing their best, and that's my personal experience. However, BigID wasn't that familiar to some people because it deals with specific areas like skill, regulation, automation, and governance. They need to do more to educate people about data.

One issue we experienced was with the scripts being in YAML format, which some people didn't understand. It would also be helpful if they could address issues related to entity and space sensitivity in the cloud. We've encountered errors when exceeding storage limits, and we haven't found a solution yet.

Overall, I would recommend BigID. If they are dealing with a large amount of data, if they need to scan all data sources, regardless of format, then BigID would be a suitable product for them.

Overall, I would rate the product an eight out of ten. 

I use the solution to discover sensitive data. I use it when the company I am part of is unable to provide locations of specific data. The goal of the tool is to find data and help companies make a better decision in regards to privacy laws. 

The PII feature of BigID has helped our organization. One of the challenges BigID can help companies with is gaining control of where the data leads and to control the data lifecycle. 

One of the most valuable features is the first step to finding PII, whether sensitive data, financial data, or personal information. Another important feature of the tool is the desired data subjected to request. Once you know where the data is present, you can receive a request from the data subject. A person can also receive internal automation using the tool and perform a desired request with the total PII. 

The tool should have more classifiers or classifications about different states. For example, there should be specific classifiers for Brazil and other specifics for China. The existing features should be improved, and more features should be added to the tool. 

I have been using the solution for five years. 

I would rate the stability a seven out of ten. While using BigID, sometimes the user doesn't have visibility into the scan or when it will be completed.  

I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten. 

The tech support is good but sometimes the support team delays to provide a solution. I would rate the tech support an eight out of ten. 

Positive

The initial setup complexity of BigID depends upon the project goal. If the goal is to scan multiple databases or large databases, the initial setup can be difficult because it's necessary to set up more than one scan separately.

The tool can be set up for an on-premise scan or a cloud scan, and it's vital for the scan to take place near the data source to speed up the process. The deployment type of the solution depends on the kind of database an organization already holds and the strategy or company goal. 

The solution provides a good return on investment because it helps companies to be compliant with privacy laws and manage data as well. The product helps identify types of internal data like in HR processing systems and financial systems. 

The product is expensive, but so are all competitor data discovery tools. 

Data classification is an important aspect of the tool because, by using it, a company can make better decisions and implement the right security process. The data classification offered by the tool can help companies improve their security strategy. The solution also helps in the data minimization process. For instance, if the tool duplicates data in different databases, companies can use BigID to reduce the number of duplicate data. BigID thus can also be used to meet compliance with GDPR, CCPA and LGPD.

I would recommend BigID to others. The solution is simple to manage, and most use cases are easier to deploy with It. I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

We use the solution for database scanning and data protection. 

The tool's most valuable feature is correlation. Using BigID's data classification capabilities has strengthened our data security. It lets me classify and connect data, which helps me manage data at various classification levels. 

The challenge we encountered was with data connection across multiple databases. We struggled with configuring the data connection successfully. However, with the assistance of dynamic teams, we resolved this issue. 

The tool needs to improve its support as well. 

I rate the product's stability as five out of ten. Since the product is new in the market, it's still in the process of maturing.

I rate the tool's scalability a six out of ten. 

We connect with the support team, especially when customers require in-depth support. We often communicate with the help desk team.

Neutral

The tool's deployment is neither easy nor complicated. I often use checklists and standard operating procedures to guide my customer work.

The solution is worth its money. 

The solution is expensive. 

I rate the overall solution a seven out of ten. 

In terms of primary use cases for BigID, since I'm a data architect, I get the specific data that is necessary for the client use-case. Then I'll try and do a scan. I do a scan on them, and the scan has parameters. So I set up the scan with some assistance from the admin, and run the scan. When we get the result, it gets populated in the BigID tool. Then I'll go into the BigID tool where there are something like files, I forgot the specific name. I'll look through the files to understand them and try to bring some of them to do an analysis. I can do my analysis in Excel with the data. The way BigID is set up, it's not easy to get all the data straight. To be able to get all the data elements I have to download it somewhere since I'm not in front of the machine.

In terms of how BigID has improved our organization, it gives a bird's-eye view of the total data. I like that. For me, that's what it does.

The features that I have found most valuable are the user experience, the credentialing, and that BigID is user friendly. Additionally, you can deploy to several other Microsoft platforms and you can use it for other things, like a bigger element or a report.

In terms of what could be improved, when you're looking in a BigID file, you cannot really get the whole file. You have to export it to download it to another platform that allows you to completely view it, or run a program. That was one of the things that was really a disappointing point for me. Not to be able to view everything. There's a lot more data, but you can't get it all at once.

They should improve on the viewing of the various files. If somebody wants to view a specific file, they should be able to view it all the way to the end and not just see maybe three quarters or so.

I used BigID all of 2019.

I think BigID is stable. I like BigID, I think it's very reliable. Being that it is new, integrating it in a project requires a learning curve. So the stability is a bit shaky, but with time people will get to get used to it. It'll get more stable.

For what we're doing, it does not really require much maintenance. Because the data is not complicated, but it's sort of minute. It's a bunch of little data.

I think BigID is scalable, but the scalability is not feasible. As I explained to you, there's some work that has to be done, like running a program, to get it scalable.

In our case, the client is the federal government.

BigID is used very extensively. And I think the project, from what I've heard, is going to start all over again. It's getting very popular.

The technical support is very good. I mean, they're right there. They come by, maybe two or three days a week. They are always available. They are very supportive, very responsive.

The initial setup is straightforward, at least it was for me, because I've been doing IT for a long time. It could be complex for other people.

We all work in conjunction. For example, we work with the data scientists, the production guys, and the data governance folks. The data governance folks like me have to have good enterprise architecting knowledge. We all work together.

The deployment takes a long time because it's like a discovery stage on what's going on. The data has to be on top of data Lake. Then, with the use of Scala and SQL and with some API calls to produce some graphs, they create some reports that can be deployed to MongoDB. That takes some time.

Initially there wasn't any implementation strategy, but we had to come up with some onboarding deployment strategies. Like just trying to understand specifically the use-case and knowing who are the people in charge - the data owners, data stewards, and data custodians. Then also trying to know the C-suite executives involved. Just knowing everybody that is involved so the process can be faster. In the beginning the BigID folks came in from New York City - that helps if we have any issues.

I think the return on investment is great, because it is good compared to the earnings ratio. I think it's fine.

I do like Informatica and Collibra.

The biggest lesson I have learned about BigID is that it is reliable and it's readily available. When you do the scans, you can just see the data is there - it's nice. Even though you cannot see all you need, like I mentioned, you have to deploy somewhere or run a program, but it's there.

On a scale of one to ten, I would give BigID an eight.

BigID integrates well with our other products. 

I have used BigID for about two years.

BigID is stable.

BigID is scalable. 

Setting up BigID is complex and took us about three months.

BigID is expensive. I prefer McAfee. 

I rate BigID eight out of 10.