How can security play a central role in enabling business
growth?
There is no doubt that security will play an increasingly
important role in enabling business growth, but it requires those
in the boardrooms of Great Britain to wake up to the real
challenges that will threaten their business over the next
decade,writes Kate Danbury, head of information security
service atThe
Corporate IT Forum.
There are two main areas where our members feel that security
can make a real difference. First is in enabling the secure
externalisation of data and communications, allowing staff,
business partners and even customers to access company data
wherever they may be. Whether this is through leased line or the
cloud, effective security is paramount to the success of this
strategy.
Concepts such as
de-perimiterisation, where organisations are moving the
security border closer to the data rather than trying to create a
multi-functional defence around the network itself, will enable
unheard of capability to collaborate and open new avenues for
increasing business capability.
The second strategy is to use security capability as a big gun
in the rapidly developing battleground around the
growing threat of e-crime. With businesses and consumers
becoming increasingly aware of the impact of data loss and
perceived governmental indifference to detection and law
enforcement, companies that can prove they are serious about the
protection of customer data are gaining significant commercial
advantage. As incidents of e-crime proliferate, more organisations
will be featuring their credentials as "beyond compliance" as a
major USP in marketing and contractual strategies.
New technologies and innovative thinking in information security
will deliver large financial savings, resource agility and
reputation benefits to organisations that make the investment now.
The message that comes across most strongly from our members is
that boards must start to recognise that security is not a cost
centre that can be marginalised in the overall business strategy.
In the challenging environment ahead, where there will be no
boundaries between the organisation and the outside world, data
will be central to the ability to compete and prosper.
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