Devices, documents and data are the life force of every business. As the digital era evolves into the intelligence era, they are central to how work gets done. But the very documents, devices and content we depend on to drive business and growth also put our organizations at considerable risk. A breach of any type can be devastating — causing chaos and distrust, plummeting stock prices, even garnering disciplinary actions and large fines from regulators.
Continuing with this year’s National CyberSecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) theme – “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.” – which encourages individuals and organizations to own their role in protecting their part of cyberspace, stressing personal accountability and the importance of taking proactive steps to enhance cybersecurity, the theme also emphasizes “If You Connect It, Protect It.”
Does your security strategy meet the demands of the intelligence era? Can you prove compliance beyond a shadow of a doubt? Few companies are as secure as they think – is yours?
The Threat is Real
The need for document, device and content security is pervasive:
- Intellectual property needs to be protected from competitors.
- Customer financial and personal information needs to be safe from hackers.
- Employee records and personally identifiable information create concerns for H
- Industry regulations and mandates add more complexity.
Larger organizations have long been targets but small and medium size business owners are becoming increasingly vulnerable as hackers direct more of their efforts toward them. Additionally, everyone is under pressure to meet both internal and external security policies and mandates, and prove compliance to partners, vendors and loyal customers. Which means everyone has a role — regardless of title, department and line of business — and should be keeping security and compliance top of mind.
The Costs Are Rising
The global costs of a security breach are increasing, both in terms of dollars and in indirect costs such as time, effort and other organizational resources spent notifying victims and investigating the incident, as well as the loss of goodwill.
No company, no industry, no department is safe. Cybercriminals are launching attacks against people, households, companies, government, police departments, hospitals, schools, banks, power grids, utilities, data centers, servers, networks, PCs, laptops, tablets and smart phones.
Cybercrime costs an organization an average of $11.7 Million.1 The loss of customer trust has serious financial consequences. The World Economic Forum estimates the economic cost of cybercrime to be $3 Trillion worldwide and is estimated to grow to $6 Trillion by 2021.2 And while 43% of cyberattacks target small business, more than 51% are not allocating any budget to risk mitigation.3
No one can afford to ignore IT infrastructure today – and the threat isn’t going away tomorrow.
Security in the Era of Intelligent Work
No matter your role or company size, it’s vital to understand what procedures and policies need to put in place to ensure your IT infrastructure is as secure as possible, and why compliance is critical. Download the Security in the Era of Intelligent Work eBook to continue learning how your organization make the best choices for protecting your business documents, data, and connect, and securing the devices that house them.
