Open the Network Up, CISO – Don’t Lock It Down! Use Security to Enable Innovation
Security Solutions Should Instil Hope for Progression, Not Allow the Fear of Risk
By Alan Zeichick, Principal Analyst, Camden Associates
The cybercrime threatscape of today is extensive, evolving and persistent. More people are using multiple connected devices – smartphones, tablets, smartwatches –, more people are telecommuting, more of us are accessing the network than ever before, exposing ourselves and our workplaces to cybercriminals.
CISOs and security teams are having to protect businesses by taking a ‘no’ stance: does it introduce risk? If yes, then, ‘no’ we can’t have it. That’s understandable given the rapid growth of cybercrime like ransomware, and the non-stop media coverage of data theft of everything from customer credit-card information to pre-release movies to sensitive political e-mail databases.
As malware advances, however, so too does the cybersecurity industry. More persistent malware means more innovative security measures. If CISOs and security teams were able to take a different approach and ask whether a product, technology or service could facilitate progression within a company, rather than focussing on the risk posed, then the forward momentum would be huge. The reality is that these threats are real and can be devastating, so companies have to have total faith in their security infrastructure and its ability to facilitate progress by mitigating risk. Are security solutions good enough to propagate this faith and support this innovation?
