Increasingly we see our clients accelerating their digital transformation. Prompted during the Covid era and eager to scale up to the hyper-connected world, they’re shifting to working from anywhere and online meetings, digitalising tasks across functions, and applying AI and machine learning to help the organisation grow.
This enthusiasm is well founded. To meet consumers’ rapidly changing expectations and keep the business relevant, speed is of the essence. Yet many organisations are not aware – or not as aware as they should be – of the choice between speed and security.
As platforms expand and become wide-open systems, they become more and more vulnerable. It’s only a matter of time before a breach occurs – executed for financial gain, to spread false information or for some other nefarious purpose.
Fortunately, there’s an answer: Cyber Transformation. By embedding cyber-security controls as an integral part of your digital transformation project from the beginning – instead of as an afterthought – the business can grow securely and its customers can engage with confidence.
Security experts refer to this as “protecting the crown jewels”. The tradition of safeguarding these royal symbols of power within the Tower of London dates from the 13th Century. Today in our more open society, up to 20,000 visitors daily are welcomed inside the gate to view the precious objects. Instead of walling off the whole perimeter, an internal security system keeps the crown jewels safe.
Similarly for businesses, traditional defensive walls have no purpose. An organisation’s “crown jewels” are decentralised across innumerable devices and servers, while online portals invite visitors worldwide to enter the virtual premises. The challenge now is to shift the defences to protect the valuable information dispersed across a more open, hyper-connected environment.
Digital transformation can powerfully accelerate the business towards a wide world of new opportunities. But the faster you go, the more control you need. Without the built-in brakes of cyber security, sooner or later an expensive accident will happen. A breach will expose the organisation to risk, costing it a lot of money and time – or worse, reputation.
While no organisation can be fully immune to cyber threats, our cyber risk experts assist clients to prepare for a potential attack and build in defences to secure valuable systems and data on a daily basis.
Laurent Vandendooren, Managing Partner, Risk Advisory
To help organisations move from a reactive to a proactive posture – in order to thrive in a hyper-connected world of immense opportunities – our Cyber experts plan and execute an integrated approach. One that enables businesses to harness the power of information networks to enhance their operations, increase performance and improve customer support – all without compromising security.
Cybersecurity is about enabling digital transformation. Deloitte Cyber is there to move organisations forward with confidence.
- Jan Vanhaecht, Belgian Cyber Leader