How to Leverage Cybersecurity and Zero Trust as Business Enablers
In this cybersecurity special report, John Siefert, Chris Hughes, and Tom Smith discuss the role of cybersecurity in business, and why it’s now about more than just mitigating threats, and not just for highly-regulated industries such as the public sector and financial services. Today’s conversation delivers the CISO perspective, from innovative startups to zero trust and cybersecurity, and their roles as business enablers in today’s acceleration economy.
Highlights
01:19 — From the perspective of a CISO, what is the current state of the cybersecurity market?
01:30 — There has been a strong increase in energy and interest as it relates to viewing cybersecurity as a business enabler. Whereas cybersecurity was previously viewed as an impediment, the use of technology to power the modern business ecosystem has led to a new demand for cybersecurity — specifically zero trust. There has been much emphasis placed on the cloud and cloud security that is empowering businesses.
02:02 — Tom asks Chris if cybersecurity as a business enabler is a mindset and cultural approach, or if it’s more about the tools that enable a more proactive stance.
02:24 — Chris responds that cybersecurity as a business enabler is a combination of tools and a cultural approach. It means making risk-informed decisions to achieve desired business outcomes.
03:39 — How does one get access to systems that pull security intelligence out and use it to make better decisions?
03:45 — Companies that are leaders in process mining and artificial intelligence are increasingly becoming focused on democratizing access to the specific technologies that will inform leaders on security and business outcomes. At the recent Celosphere 2022 in Munich, Germany, Tom spoke with a number of organizations that said they want to put their technology in the hands of more customers. This can introduce security implications, however. Who gets access? And when? How is this controlled?
05:08 — As far as how data is accessed to enable businesses to run, zero trust almost becomes a mindset in cybersecurity as a business enabler, John says.
05:25 — Chris agrees that John is “spot on.” Zero trust is about “getting the right people access to the right data at the right time. Zero trust is built on the lack of implicit trust, but granting it as needed, and pulling access back when it is no longer needed.
06:12 — What is the rate of market adoption for zero trust as a mindset and framework? What tools are being applied to this concept?
06:23 — There has been tremendous market adoption of zero trust in the federal and commercial sectors. However, Chris adds there is still a lot of confusion around whether zero trust is a product or service, or even if it’s something that can be purchased in the first place. Users are still “maturing and learning” when it comes to zero trust but the world, overall, is headed in the right direction.
06:50 — At Cloud Wars Expo 2022, Chris led an entire track on zero trust with a focus on its use in the business world.
07:14 — In what other industries is zero trust being embraced or considered especially appropriate?
07:52 — Aside from government, other highly regulated industries such as financial technology and healthcare are two notable examples of industries in which zero trust is being rapidly adopted, Chris says.
08:20 — John highlights how there is a dire need for zero trust in the healthcare industry, considering all of the patient privacy data and HIPPA regulations that require this.
09:23 — The architectural approach by the healthcare industry is a unification of people, processes, and technology.
10:14 — Lookout is a mobile security company that enables zero trust frameworks for various organizations. Recently, Lookout published a research study on attacks targeting government entitites and employees. The findings suggest that one in eight government employees was exposed to phishing threats. The data reiterates the importance of zero trust principles since security attacks are bound to occur.
11:50 — Lookout provides a unified security platform that includes everything from mobile devices to the cloud. Lookout’s platform is a cohesive solution that spans the entire architecture and ecosystem of a company.
13:59 — Tom reviews a specific use case of how Lookout is assisting customers. Its customer, Schneider Electric, is using Lookout technology — 50,000 of its Android and Apple devices are secured by Lookout, and the company is looking to secure 25,000 more. Lookout supports privacy and security laws in more than 100 countries.
15:32 — In the upcoming weeks, Acceleration Economy analysts will be gathering with Lookout executives to learn about the company.
16:22 — Chris emphasizes the importance of looking at cybersecurity as a business enabler. How can security teams help businesses achieve successful outcomes and not “lock everything down”?
16:42 — Tom feels that having centralized tools that enable more users to get their hands on cybersecurity technologies represents a significant benefit.
17:45 — John suggests that the only way to enable co-creation, modernization, and the acceleration of businesses is to consider cybersecurity as a business enabler.
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