When Securing Digital Transformation, the Best Defense is a Good Offense

Security is no longer just an afterthought. In a report we created with 451 Research, we found that the number one concern (35 percent) preventing Asia Pacific companies from transforming digitally is the potential failure to secure sensitive data.

However, enterprises still need to ramp up their efforts in digital transformation. More than one-third of companies state that their industries have been disrupted over the past three years by technologies like mobile apps, IoT, and automation. This impact will continue for the foreseeable future. How can enterprises then find ways to secure their digitization efforts—and make sure they don’t go to waste?

I believe it’s time that more companies see security as an enabler that drives their businesses forward, rather than a component that is just “sitting there” passively. Before we begin to implement protective measures, enterprises must adopt a fresh active perspective about IT security.

Cyberattacks are going viral

The biggest reason for proactive security is that cyberattacks are going viral. Recently, the world was hit by another ransomware attack called Petya, which could be more deadly than WannaCry. The World Economic Forum also ranked cyberattacks as the sixth biggest risk to doing business in Asia Pacific. Closer to our doorstep, one in fourcyberattacks in Singapore actually resulted in an actual data breach. With threats taking on such explosive and adaptive capabilities, meeting them head on with traditional strategies is doomed to fail.

Digital transformation is blurring the boundaries

Digital technologies are also changing the way we do business. Digital transformation is now bringing technology and data closer to the customer, making it more complicated to secure the IT perimeters of an enterprise. One good example is the increasing adoption of public cloud and standards-based APIs. It’s hard to know where the boundaries of your company end, and those of other companies begin. It is hard to map out network topologies with traditional frameworks, making it even more challenging to implement the right solutions.

The basic “protect everything” mindset is a myth

With threats developing and evolving at lightning speed, the conventional goal of protecting every IT asset is unrealistic. Companies that take this approach will find themselves hitting a brick wall time after time. They will have to constantly spend more money, beefing up cybersecurity measures with the “best and latest” technologies. This vicious cycle is unsustainable in the long run and might cause businesses to crash and burn. What organizations need is an alternative—a new way of identifying gaps precisely and acquiring the security layers that fill those specific needs.

To respond to the evolving threat landscape and secure business opportunities, organizations need to change gears when it comes to cybersecurity.