How to successfully manage complex security risks

How to successfully manage complex security risks

Paul Timmins from DXC Technology says that cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated


Caspar Herzberg |


This article first appeared in the Winter 2017 issue of The Record.

Digitisation has delivered significant productivity improvements and helped businesses to compete in a global marketplace. Automating previously manual processes has liberated employees to add value elsewhere in the business, so companies are getting a better return on their investment in both people and systems.

Using digital systems and the cloud for all aspects of work is part of a necessary evolution that enables people to be productive wherever they are, deliver more value in less time and eliminate (or greatly reduce) the errors that arise from manual tasks. At the same time, it’s created a complex challenge for IT teams as they scramble to protect all the endpoint devices connecting to the corporate network.

Insufficient data security can cripple a business. Cyberattacks bring down systems and make it impossible for businesses to operate, causing financial loss. There are far-reaching consequences including high fines for insufficiently securing customers’ private information, and reputational damage that can make it difficult for companies to attract customers and negotiate effectively with suppliers.

Board members, CEOs and CIOs are recognising the importance of cybersecurity to the organisation’s bottom line and they’re more involved in keeping the business safe from cybercriminals. They understand that they must secure all information assets to protect themselves, their customers and suppliers.

Although organisations may have standards and policies in place, the reality is people don’t always adhere to them, or they find workarounds. Smart organisations are quickly realising they need to take appropriate steps to ensure that information systems are architected with security in mind.

Microsoft has applied years of cloud and on-premise security and privacy expertise to make its cloud solutions secure. Microsoft Dynamics 365, for example, has built-in anti-spam and anti-virus technologies that are automatically updated to protect against the latest threats. Such built-in security features reduce the time and costs associated with securing cloud solutions. Administrators can also use online management consoles to configure the features, permissions and policies in Microsoft’s cloud services to meet their specific security and compliance requirements.

Microsoft Azure Security Dev¬elopment Lifecycle addresses security at every development phase, and it’s the only public cloud platform to offer continuous security health monitoring. Plus, it lets companies manage and control user identity and access, defend against threats, and increase network and infrastructure security.

Paul Timmins is global director for Microsoft at DXC Technology

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