The importance of taking proactive measures in cyber security in a digital age

By Cloud Kickers, co-sponsor of the Yorkshire Cyber Security seminar

Changes in legislation and attention from the media are forcing businesses to consider what a breach could mean for them and their future sustainability.

Get it wrong, as was the case for Facebook breach in the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal, and the results could be catastrophic – leading to costly fines, as well as considerable – potentially irreparable – damage to a company’s credibility.

Simon Kenworthy

Simon Kenworthy, Cloud Kickers Founder and CTO, said: “In just the last decade there has been a significant surge in internet traffic, and platforms such as Google Cloud, Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure have changed fundamental design constraints causing widespread announcements from leading software vendors of ‘end of life’, a flurry of highly publicised bleeding edge software releases and radical changes in delivery models.”

The technology shift has been fundamental in shaping propositions at Cloud Kickers, with senior division leaders prioritising cyber security awareness with the ambition of helping UK organisations understand how to approach information assurance in business as usual, as well as in digital transformation.

Indeed, at a recent event which featured a cross a panel of industry experts, sponsored by Cloud Kickers and CMS at the Crowne Plaza, Leeds, a foundation message was clear. Businesses must get the basic security in place and have the right people on hand to help prevent and manage a crisis.

Simon goes on to explain that for the last 50 years, organisations have been ‘simplifying’ portfolios, theoretically eliminating often hundreds of bought and bespoke applications in favour of enterprise ERP. This has fed the growth of huge software vendors and has presented a cushion of stability with those vendors absorbing much of the complexity surrounding data, integration and security.

He adds: “During the last decade the tide has been changing, with many organisations augmenting best of breed as well as home grown solutions into increasingly diverse software and platform portfolios. Suddenly, every organisation finds itself needing the technical prowess of the digital elite.

“Something must give and with demand exceeding supply and lead-times already excessive, quality can suffer considerably.

“Sadly, this has come at a time of unprecedented shift to services in public cloud and unprecedented data moving over the internet.”

But it’s not all and doom and gloom, according to Michael Magann, Cloud Kickers US representative, who says: “There are many tools, technology, methods and individuals out there to help organisations create their own destiny, and with the right support and advisory team in place can now shape their digital vision and requirements in order to compete on a national, and international footing.”

David Hewitt

David Hewitt, Digital Transformation at Cloud Kickers, went on to say that the disruptions within the marketplace also presented an opportunity for businesses prepared to innovate: “With disruptive technology enabling start-ups to rapidly take market share from some of the largest corporations, IT leaders need to establish mechanisms to innovate quickly and progressively.”

Continuing, Simon said: “Technology is constantly changing and developing, so if your current systems are archaic, timely and not really working, now is the time to re-think the measures you have in place.

“When the IT systems and services are right, they should help to harmonise, support and automate business processes which can prove very useful in ensuring you can respond to a cyber security attack.

“Similarly, ensuring you have the right supply chain, personnel and consultant in place will mean you can respond in a timely and efficient manner if your systems are breached.

“It may feel like a fairly obvious thing to say, but fail to prepare, and you may as well prepare to fail when it comes to issues such as this.”

If you are concerned about your businesses’ cyber security speak to a member of the Cloud Kickers team.