Application security, Network Security

RSA 2016: Trust in the internet is imperative to sustain worker productivity

One of the more frightening possible result from the seemingly endless stream of hacks taking place is that they degrade public trust in the internet and this could lead to a serious fall off in productivity, Palo Alto Networks CEO Mark McLaughlin told attendees at RSA 2016.

“What happens when we lose trust in the infrastructure? This could prompt a huge decline in productivity,” McLaughlin said during his keynote address.

McLaughlin worries that if the average person no longer trusts the internet to protect their interests they will shy away from using the web to its fullest and since so much of the economy is tied the internet any fall off in use could translate into less productive workers.

McLaughlin listed several steps the industry needs to take to shore up not only the public's faith, but also to ensure the digital infrastructure will be more secure.

The first would be to increase the cost to the hackers of doing business by hitting them in the wallet and taking away there freedom, if possible. This can be done by implementing preventative measures like simplifying and automating security systems, sharing information on known threats and educating people on how to live and operate in the digital world.

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