Protecting Digital Assets Primarily Relies on Individuals, Information, and Tools - Rather than Boundaries
In today's digital age, the focus of most enterprise security strategies remains on protecting infrastructure, rather than people, data, or technology. However, to defend effectively in cybersecurity, a holistic approach is required. This approach, which secures the entire ecosystem, is necessary to stay ahead in the future of business.
Cody Pierce, CEO and founder of Neon Cyber, is a pioneer in this innovative field. With 25 years of experience in cybersecurity, Pierce emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach that focuses on three key areas: people, data, and technology.
Understanding data flow within an organization is crucial for governance. Questions to consider include whether there's a central SharePoint system, email attachment usage, and data upload to AI models like ChatGPT. The ability to investigate data movement between systems is a sign of progress in data observability. Recording downloads, attachments, and uploads is key to this process.
Data observability involves identifying sources of data, adding access logging, and auditing. As technology evolves, companies are seeking to make all data available for AI models. However, this increased accessibility also poses challenges for security teams, particularly with the rise of SaaS sprawl and the proliferation of AI vendors.
The traditional concept of a cybersecurity perimeter, which has been around since the dawn of the internet, no longer holds true. With the pace of technology evolution today being faster than it was 10 years ago, and increased decentralization and availability, cybersecurity has no perimeter. Employees have access to more private corporate information and are more vulnerable to attack than devices.
The Forbes Technology Council, an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs, and technology executives, recognizes these challenges. Understanding the importance of a holistic approach, they are at the forefront of driving innovation and best practices in this area.
Technology includes hardware, software, and services used by businesses to accomplish objectives. In the past, most organizations had computers in an office and servers in a closet or data center. Today, however, the landscape is vastly different, with cloud-based solutions and remote work becoming the norm.
In conclusion, a holistic approach to cybersecurity is essential for businesses to stay secure in the face of ever-evolving threats. By focusing on people, data, and technology, organizations can ensure they are prepared for the future of business.
