Increased access to a diverse range of new technologies provides compelling reasons for adopting a different stance when selecting technical partners in business. How will machine learning change your engagement approach?
For many years, we’ve talked about cyber security, having appropriate policies in place, ensuring proactive maintenance occurs, ransomware threats, and in particular, how good governance is correlated with increased business profitability and brings an alternate perspective.
Our efforts were focused around building capacity and awareness - to withstand all sorts of threats to business viability and long-term success. It makes this week’s Wannacrypt ransomware attack topical - for good reason. You don’t normally hear of massive interruptions to so many UK hospitals, rail systems in Germany, Russian ministries and Telefonica in Spain without real issues being at play.
Now, before you say “I’m too time-poor to worry that, I’m not technical, it’s not my responsibility yada, yada, yada” take a moment and think about where you (and your organisation) are heading. You stand to derive real benefit from checking your personal stance.
It has nothing to do with assigning blame, or believing cyber insurance is the solution. It requires you to think holistically – about your approach, technological change, work-life mix, privacy, globalisation, transnational ethics and your partnerships.
Not yet convinced? Try adding machine learning, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) and you must concede we face a new paradigm.
Counter-intuitively, the increased access to affordable technology such as open source software, cloud computing and off-shore outsourcing represent a double-edged sword. Software, hardware and the necessary tools are becoming easier to use and obtain, resulting in a lot of choice when it comes to engaging with both technical and human resources.
What is not so obvious is that this apparent increase in choice does not translate into an increase in quality results. There is an ever increasing number of people and technologies to choose from, but the imperative to choose wisely is the same or even more critical, while the available pool of experience is not increasing at the same rate, and if anything is going through a relative decrease as a result of technical expansion and specialisation.
There was a time when computer systems, networks, operating systems etc. were much more limited in number and finding an “expert” whose skill sets covered the entire range was not so difficult.
With the explosion in technologies, access and connectivity, the days of the computer guru who “knew it all” have long gone.
Now, more than ever, you need a technology partner with integrity and agility who can bring the technical and human resources together that are required to ensure your systems are secure, compliant with the law, both support and are supported by your business process. You need resources designed for resilience and alignment with your strategic goals.
Except in the most trivial of cases, you are unlikely to find this combination of attributes in an individual or small organisation. The experience and skills needed to combine all these factors in a way that provides true value and benefit for you and your organisation only comes with people who recognise the challenges and difficulties and addresses them holistically.
If you want a trusted technology partner for the long term to help you navigate this changing environment, contact CIBIS - a company with the requisite skills and depth of experience.