The easiest way to fail is to stand still

The security landscape has changed beyond recognition and never more so than in the past five years. We have moved from systems and devices that were locked down as a matter of course, to a working environment that encourages greater levels of access and collaboration across multiple IT estates and devices. The CIO’s role in all this has changed from one of keeping infrastructures under lock and key at all costs, to implementing security policies that are just as robust, if not more so, than before – while allowing for increased business flexibility and workforce mobility.

With potential fines for a data breach reaching 2% of global turnover plus the damage caused from loss of trust in your organisation it’s clear that more robust security measures are vital. But as well as protecting organisations from attacks, improved security can actually be an enabler to success for many organisations. Take digital banking as an example, where mobile and internet banking is now being used for transactions worth nearly £1 billion a day*.

To make it work and respond to employees who want to work where they want, when they want, it is important that CIOs understand the need to integrate security measures into every part of the organisation’s processes. As an example, new technology helped MDG, a medical screening company, to replace its 400 nurses’ digital pens with mobile devices. They now manage all their devices through a single console, with features including remote wipe if a device is lost or stolen. As a result, nurses are processing information in hours, not days.

Organisations can react quicker to evolving threats by adopting a more proactive approach to security as a whole. By gaining an awareness of the larger threat landscape, potential attacks can be prevented and mitigated before they have a direct impact on an organisation. CIOs must understand the latest cyber crime trends – who might want to harm their organisation, or gain access to their information? Why? And what are the most likely ways their security might be attacked?

By gaining a deeper insight into what is happening to others, organisations can ensure any measures they put in place are up to the challenge and ready to respond when needed. Luckily, technology is available to help CIOs ensure they are able to detect and respond to new threats before they cause damage and disruption to their organisation. As a global organisation, connecting every 1 in 25 people and providing national critical infrastructure to 24 countries across the world, O2 has long been a target for cyber attacks. It’s this experience that has led us to put the most robust technologies in place to protect our customers’ information – and we are able to provide this same level of service to keep your organisation secure too. This includes our global security operations centres (SOCs), which monitor and gather intelligence from around the world to ensure we can protect ourselves and offer our customers a comprehensive and proactive view of the threat landscape. We’re also the first mobile operator to achieve CAS(T) accreditation, a HMG specific standard based on ISO27000 standards, and we’re also ISO27001 and ND1643 accredited and with ICO Green Assurance. Just like they do for us, our insight systems, applications and security accreditations will keep you secure throughout the digital revolution.

To find out more, visit o2.co.uk/enterprise or call 01235 433 507.

* ‘The Way We Bank Now’ – British Bankers Association, 2014