By adopting a new, holistic approach to security, companies can prevent data leaks, build digital trust and accelerate digitalization.
Yes, hackers exist in the cyber universe. Images immediately spring to mind of a loner in a dimly lit room, a black screen full of green numbers, or an army of people working together to break through the virtual lines and obtain valuable personal or corporate information. But contrary to common belief, security breaches are just as likely to come from within, caused by a careless worker deleting the entire customer base by accident, a copy/paste mistake, a frustrated employee deliberately setting out to cause damage or simply a wrong backup setting in the Cloud.
Accenture’s recent State of Cybersecurity and Digital Trust 2016 survey of more than 200 security officers at major corporations revealed that more than two out of three companies faced a data theft or attempted theft from within in the last 12 months. This may come as a surprise, but it makes sense that companies are not immediately keen to let the world know they’ve had a cyber problem. The first reflex of many companies is to pour more energy and budget into closing the ‘gaps’. It’s not only costly, it also rarely yields an impermeable result. Even the most sophisticated firewalls are powerless to address leaks from within.
It’s time for companies to rethink how digital trust and security can be holistically woven into the enterprise fabric.
View the key findings on Slideshare
Security mindset is the starting point
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Therefore, it is essential to install a security mindset at every level of the organization. This is particularly important at a time when many employees have a company smartphone, with access to their emails or even sensitive business information.
The next step is to monitor: Continuously scan what information is accessed, when and by whom. It’s not a question of Big Brother, but rather, artificial intelligence. Such systems can learn what normal behaviors are and what deviates from the norm, conducting data checks on a massive scale without human intervention. Accenture’s newly opened Cybersecurity R&D Lab in Israel will focus on applying the latest innovations in artificial intelligence, blockchain and advanced analytics to help organizations deploy a more focused IT security roadmap.
Worth the cost?
Security comes with a price tag. But ask yourself what’s at stake. After a data leak, how much business would you lose, how would services to your customers suffer, and what would the damage be to your reputation? Add a figure to each question and you’ll soon see how much a security system is worth. In fact, security is even more valuable because it pays for itself: not only increasing the trust of your customers, but also giving you more opportunities to (safely) use the Internet as a tool. In a nutshell: security should become an integral part of your business model.
Accenture Security offers intelligence and insights to help increase security effectiveness and improve business resilience in an increasingly connected world. Feel free to contact Fabrice Deval, Senior IT Security Manager, for more information.
