As business challenges go, they don’t get much bigger. How is it possible to embrace the digital evolution, and all it has to offer, while still keeping some semblance of control over security?

Getting IT security right is a tremendous enabler, allowing a mobile, increasingly tech-savvy workforce freedom to work their way, and inviting customers to make more meaningful connections. Get it wrong, though and… well, the internet is full of such cautionary tales.

While digitisation offers opportunities to organisations facing increased competition and market disruption, it also presents more virtual doors and windows for the cyber-criminal to sneak through.

This makes for something of a rock and hard place situation for those charged with IT security. Digitisation is now a necessity for business survival, but security breaches can signal a death knell.

It isn’t only legitimate businesses that have undergone a massive change in recent years. Cyber-crime, once the domain of teens hunched over a desktop, is now big business. Criminal organisations are well resourced, with set-ups similar to any other corporation.

To give an idea of the scale of the problem, the US government estimates the annual cost of cyber-crime will double to US$6 Billion by 2021. In the last year, it has doubled its investment in IT security in response.

Working in an environment that includes cloud-based applications, as well as a fast-growing Internet of Things (IoT), IT departments may be unable to even see an attack surface, making it far harder to defend.

A big part of the problem facing IT managers is that the range of security solutions in place have been built up over time, and many are not designed for this borderless, fast-changing landscape. Just as there is a new, connected business world, security needs a fresh approach.

Buying a new piece of security hardware no longer works. In fact, it might just add extra complexity, making visibility harder. So how do you reimagine IT security?

One thing that all cyber-threats have in common is that they require a network, and this is where a holistic security strategy must start.

Sophisticated networks are being developed by the likes of Fortinet to enable high-speed authentication and monitoring, with internal segmentation to automatically separate and monitor sensitive resources.

Some networks can integrate and automate traditionally isolated security technologies, synchronising network and security intelligence, so that those layers present a united front. This expands visibility and allows for automated control across the entire distributed environment.

The best options include cloud-based security services that track and defend devices and data distributed anywhere across your ecosystem of networks, so that users, data and endpoints are protected.

In modern network designs, an integrated security fabric ties the entire distributed network together. It is a virtual cloak that protects authenticated users and visitors, no matter how they connect. That cloak makes the IT balancing act a whole lot less precarious.

A co-ordinated defence is essential for keeping unwelcome intruders at bay. Do you still feel overwhelmed? Well luckily you don’t have to solve the security challenge alone. CodeBlue’s Cyber Security Solution ensures that teams are secure outside of the corporate network. For more information visit https://codeblue.co.nz/cyber-security-services 

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