We've known for a very long time now, that the “fortress” approach to information security is ineffective. This year, thanks to a slowly recovering economy, our business requirements are forcing us to find new and innovative approaches to secure and protect our most critical information. Whether driven by M&A, outsourcing or “cloud” computing, organizations are being forced to rethink their strategic approaches to information protection.
As we face more customized and targeted attacks going after intellectual property, or incredibly organized approaches to financial fraud and identity theft, the strategies and technologies we rely on are changing rapidly. We are seeking innovative and increasingly cost-effective ways to bolster our defenses and increase both our preventative and detective capabilities.
The challenge is great. The impressive thing about the information security community is how well they react to challenges. We see CISOs realigning their functions and processes, creating a more reactive security function. We see technology innovators finding innovative solutions to complex problems. We see a community of professionals working together to share leading practices and support each other. This community is always willing to rise to face great challenges.
My predictions for 2010 is that there will be more regulatory challenges. There will be more data losses of personally identifiable information. We will see an increase in targeted attacks and custom malware. Business will become more complex. Budgets will still be tight. And the great CISOs and security community will continue to find new and inventive solutions to these challenges.
I would like to congratulate the nominees and the winners of the 2010 SC Awards U.S.
– Greg Bell, global services leader, information protection and business resiliency, KPMG LLP;
co-chair, SC Awards Committee
