Why a security-first approach to transformation overcomes barriers and enables change

Organisations that are further behind on their digital transformation journey are facing up to some uncomfortable truths about their ongoing ability to drive growth and competitiveness, particularly during periods of great volatility.  

 

Transformation can feel overwhelmingly complex and costly. Approaching it from a security standpoint, however, sets enterprises on a clear pathway to greater organisational strength and agility.   

 

The impact of cyber-attacks has rocketed  

 

Traditional security approaches, which protected organisations by securing the perimeter of the enterprise network, weren’t designed for a world of remote working, cloud services and connected devices which venture outside the perimeter.  

 

Legacy security is leaving enterprises with a dangerous level of vulnerability. But the risk isn’t just about the increase in the quantity and sophistication of cyber-threats. Attacks have a much greater impact on revenue and reputation than 15 or 20 years ago, because most sectors are now so heavily digitalised that downtime is catastrophic. Splunk estimates that the direct cost of downtime for the top 2,000 global companies is $9,000 a minute or $540,000 per hour, coming from lost revenue, fines and penalties, damage limitation and lost productivity. 

 

Legacy security risks regulatory non-compliance 

 

Because both GDP and the personal and working lives of individuals would be severely affected by successful attacks, we’ve seen a surge in cyber-resilience legislation such as NIS2 and DORA.  The inadequacy of legacy network security, however, makes it difficult to achieve compliance. This increases the risk of fines, legal ramifications and the loss of customer trust. 

 

Fragmented implementations and M&A activity have left many organisations with a patchwork of network and security solutions from different vendors. This lack of standardisation not only leaves gaps in enterprise defences but also makes any meaningful level of organisational agility impossible. Any kind of change, such as getting new sites up and running, acquiring or merging with other organisations, or rolling out new apps and products, becomes immensely complex and time-consuming. 

 

The shift to security everywhere 

 

The traditional security method of building a wall around the corporate network is impossible today. Instead, it’s time to take a “security everywhere” approach.  

 

This means using technologies such as Zero Trust (which secures information, services and people – wherever they are – instead of the perimeter of the corporate network) and SASE (which combines next-generation security and network management technologies).  

 

This approach is a much more robust way of securing modern corporate networks and centralises and standardises networking and security across the whole organisation. 

At an organisational level, that means: 

• Better security posture: reduces the risk of a successful attack, closes security gaps and frees up staff to proactively look for vulnerabilities, identify likely threats and prepare for exposure  
• Greater resilience against AI-generated threats: mitigates powerful AI-generated attacks that are hyper-personalised or target unpatched vulnerabilities, and limits damage if there is a breach
• Lower operational cost and complexity: streamlines and centralises security and network management and allows some functions to be automated – this reduces the amount of manpower needed, cutting the cost of ownership
• Greater agility and responsiveness: makes enabling change significantly faster and easier, such as opening new offices, or launching a new app or product offering  
• Regulatory compliance: a modernised infrastructure is a critical element of compliance for many cybersecurity regulations

Security must be viewed through a broader lens 

 

Security everywhere technologies aren’t available off the shelf. To maximise the business-level benefits, they must be tailored to each organisation’s goals, challenges and technical readiness. But there may be a significant amount of work to do first to get IT and security systems – as well as the wider business – ready for these solutions. 

 

This can feel like navigating a complex web of IT interdependencies, which is why many businesses are turning to partners with proven experience in successfully managing this process. Instead of viewing these security technologies as a purely IT endeavour, bringing in outside expertise offers a third-party perspective and deep understanding of the organisation at a strategic, operational and technical level.  

 

This allows organisations to establish where the business is now, where it wants to get to, and where the barriers lie. They can then develop an effective blueprint for the entire transformation process, including design, delivery, transition and ongoing management and support.  

 

A platform for future change 

 

As we enter a fresh period of global geopolitical and financial volatility, adaptability and resilience will be critical. Businesses might be seeking to expand into new markets, increase collaboration with third parties or adopt new technologies such as gen AI, edge computing or new IoT use cases to drive growth and profitability. Whatever their goals, approaching transformation from a security standpoint provides an agile, robust foundation to adapt effectively to future challenges and possibilities.  

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Find out how Colt has helped leading businesses respond quickly to opportunities and problems, or contact us to discuss your pathway to transformation.