Information Lock-in vs Sharing

On 2nd July 2013, National Cyber Security Poilicy has been released. First point in the preamble is an eye opener. It says " Cyberspace is a complex environment consisting of interactions between people, software and services supported by worldwide distribution of information and communication technology (ICT) devices and networks".

Enterprise information security is more than just protecting against viruses. The collaborative and diverse nature of modern business means that information is being created, accessed and shared both internally and externally at a faster rate than ever before, and concequenses of this information falling into the wrong hands never been higher or more visible tothe world.

Organisations think that they are secures against well known threats of viruses, malware and attacks simply because they have deployed perimetersecurity and internal antivirus software to manage. Where they are less confident is with respect to unauthorised access by staff - This internal threat is both harder to identify and to manage.

(Read more:  Under the hood of Top 4 BYOD Security Technologies: Pros & Cons)


It is no longer a valid strategy to keep important information locked behind closed doors. That doesn't mean to open the internet fully without any controls.

Yes, there need to be trust on the employees but at what cost? Information is in motion constantly, internally, externally, on mobile devices. Understanding this is the first step in being able to develop a security strategy that protects key information in new and innovative ways enabling the orgs to collaborate be creative while still firmly remaining secure and complaint.

Need to follow certain steps to protect IP and image of the organisation.

  • Identify a Security Champ at the high corporate level possible. THis will help to top-down approach for any security implimentation. Give him/her freedom.
  • Perform an audit of the information assests that your org uses or has
  • Be aware how beyond-the-firewall information sharing can benefit your org
  • Understand that protecting information both inside and outside the firewall requires a rethink in terms of linking information governance and complaince requirements with the information security controls that address information protection.
  • Use external consultants to test your security mechanism
  • Review continuously all the aspects of enterprise security to ensure the effectiveness.

 (Read moreBYOD Security - Why you should care if your OS is older)

Biggest concern today regarding information security is: Everyone understands the importantance of it but not always considered a top priority untill a problem occurs, at which time it's too late.

Enterprise security is changing. The domain of the enterprise security professional is moving from that of internal policies to much wider context. The dilemma that orgs face is that whilst they wish to protect their information from all possible risks, that does not get prioritised. Information is unstructured, flowing in and out.

More:  Want to share your insights? Click here to write an article at CISO Platform

 

 

E-mail me when people leave their comments –

You need to be a member of CISO Platform to add comments!

Join CISO Platform

CISO Platform

A global community of 5K+ Senior IT Security executives and 40K+ subscribers with the vision of meaningful collaboration, knowledge, and intelligence sharing to fight the growing cyber security threats.

Join CISO Community Share Your Knowledge (Post A Blog)