Read time: 3 minutes

IT security 'a business enabler'

IT security 'a business enabler'

Securing buy-in to IT security spend has long been a challenge within enterprises. But business management needs to start seeing IT security as a business enabler, rather than a grudge purchase, sponsors of the upcoming ITWeb Security Summit say.

In a briefing ahead of the IT Security Summit, to be held in Johannesburg in May, event sponsors said South African enterprises were slowly starting to understand that IT security is not just a business "must-have", but also a business enabler.

Dimitri Fousekis, head of penetration testing at Telspace Systems, says the IT department has long battled to develop a business case and demonstrate return on investment on IT security spend. However, recent high-profile breaches around the world are supporting the argument that IT security is more than a safeguard.

"Customers are now more aware than ever of the importance of data protection and the risks of cyber crime. When an enterprise demonstrates proactive information security, it boosts confidence among its customer base. Therefore, it enables business," he says.

Fousekis is of the view that enterprises in SA and across Africa do not all lag those in more developed countries in their IT security approach.

"The financial sector, for example, is ahead in some respects. However, verticals such as manufacturing may be slower to adopt a proactive approach to IT security, since information is not their primary focus. In the public sector, we see varied maturity levels."

As Africa attracts increasing investor attention, enterprises have to change their approach to IT security, he adds. "Enterprises with a traditional mindset need to revisit their approach to IT security. They need to assess their systems and processes, upgrade where necessary, and instil a security culture throughout their organisations."

Carel Jansen van Vuuren, business unit manager ICT Security Solutions at Datacentrix, says effective IT security is also becoming increasingly important as new legislation makes enterprise management accountable for data protection.

"We expect POPI to drive IT security improvement eventually, but not in the short term. South Africans tend to wait until the last minute, or until someone has been made an example of, before they fully comply with new legislation," he observes. "However, there is growing awareness of coming legislation and the potential business impact of breaches, so C-level business management is moving to become more involved in the enterprise IT security strategy now."

Fousekis adds: "IT security should not be forced on business management – they should see that it's a business imperative."

Event sponsor Performanta SA's CTO, Enlin Neveling, notes that IT security delivers greater business benefits and cost efficiencies when enterprises collaborate with vendors and service providers on solutions, implementation and overall strategy.

"Typically, a customer decides to acquire a technology, approaches a service provider, reseller or vendor and they issue a proof of concept in line with this. But so much more value could be realised if the enterprise worked in close collaboration with the vendor, reseller and service provider to carry out a full audit and needs assessment. This allows them to extrapolate the full value of their IT security investment. Customers need to allow us to become strategic partners in their IT security strategies, so that we are in a position to bring our experience to the table," he says.

Trend Micro adds that effective IT security also serves as a business enabler in that it supports the secure use of cloud-based services.

"In small and medium enterprises in particular, cloud-based services have a lot to offer in terms of agility and cost savings," says Gregory Anderson, country manager for Trend Micro SA.

"We are seeing the mid-market and smaller enterprises transitioning to the cloud now. However, there are serious and valid concerns about the security of data in the cloud. With advanced security solutions and strategies in place, enterprises are enabled to realise the business benefits of cloud computing without the risks," he points out.

Editorial contacts
Leigh Angelo
(011) 869 9153
leigh@tradeprojects.co.za 

Daily newsletter