Securing your business in a brave new world

In our previous blog from the ‘Perfect Storm’ series we looked at the ever-changing role of the CIO with a focus on how technology has become an important consideration for all departments in a business, not just IT. Security is the natural next step to look at. Nowhere is an all-encompassing attitude more relevant than in the field of security, where every single employee carries a responsibility to the business.

The sheer number of high-profile breaches in recent months, Target and Sony to name but two, has not only brought cyber-security firmly into the public sphere, but also into the boardroom. Attitudes to security have been transformed from being a part of the IT department’s job, to being a pivotal consideration for every board member. With every individual or connected device a potential entry route for cyber-attack, businesses need concerted action, at board level.

The threat

Of course there is good reason for the C-suite taking security seriously. The consequences of failing to secure IT environments are wide reaching and significant.

In the first instance companies face a significant threat to their reputations. Consumers are now acutely aware of the importance of data protection and the prevailing cyber threat. When a company’s security is breached, the impact on trust and reputation can provoke a customer exodus. If businesses feel that their corporate data could be compromised they will look elsewhere. Once a breach occurs, the ability of companies to coordinate and communicate their responses is equally important.

Secondly there is the issue of litigation. Changes in EU Data Protection regulation mean companies that do not meet security requirements can incur fines of up to 5% of global turnover. For enterprise organisations, that constitutes a huge sum and has the potential to significantly affect business strategy. Companies will need to insure against losses, but the frameworks to do so are still emerging.

On top of these consequences, businesses must bear in mind the more immediate effects of neglecting cyber security controls. Whether it is the financial compensation triggered by the theft of credit card details, or the lost business that stems from server downtime, cyber breaches start hitting the bottom line immediately. Imagine being a content delivery service, reliant on constant uptime to stream TV programmes to audiences around the world; even a few minutes of downtime will be enough for vast swathes of viewers to turn off and look elsewhere.

So, with the stakes so high for companies across all sectors, what exactly should companies be looking for when selecting a provider?

The key security considerations

As a leading global provider of carrier neutral data centre services, Telehouse is in a unique and informed position to guide clients through the complex cyber security landscape. Here are our key security considerations:

Monitor continuously for threats and remediation – businesses can no longer afford to have their environments scanned intermittently. If cyber-attacks are evolving at such a rate, businesses must constantly match them in order to remain secure. So businesses will need a choice of vendors to manage threats at different levels of the attack.

Work with a trusted data centre operator – in conjunction with this continuous awareness, businesses should be looking to work with data centre operators with high level international accreditations.

Secure every element of the supply chain – in order to comprehensively address security, there is the need to look beyond just the client and data centre operator. The duty of care must extend to the weakest links in the supply chain. Vulnerabilities can easily enter the supply chain, making the enterprise at its head, susceptible to breaches. Risk assessment must be carried out at every level of the chain to avoid this.

This is not just a one-way street. As data centre operators and cloud providers, we ask the same security questions of our clients that they ask of us.

A brave new world
Ultimately, we realise that a security breach has now become a very real possibility for businesses around the globe, which is why both data centre operators and clients must be fully aware of security threats.

Telehouse provides access to the world’s most connected data centres. We house a community of interest that we have to look after, ensuring that vulnerabilities do not enter the chain at any point. As a vendor neutral data centre with more than 750 providers of cloud services and connectivity, Telehouse provides the widest choice of suppliers so you can find the right security services for your business.

Telehouse are one of only two global carrier-neutral data centre providers that can access more than 60% of global GDP through our 46 data centres. This enables clients to minimize security risk and maximise the opportunity for success, by leveraging the benefits of partnering with local providers along with the security of Telehouse’s global uptime and equipment standards. These include ISO 27001:2013 for Information Security Management Systems and ISO 22301:2012 for Business Continuity. This empowers our clients to not only secure their corporate data, but also to reach a brave new world of emerging markets under a well-known and trusted brand.