Deloitte Challenges The Perception Of Security

/**/ /**/

Despite all of our technological advances, day after day, we hear the same security tips: Change passwords, refrain from plugging in mysterious devices, train employees to be vigilant. At the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council Security Conference, Deloitte's Emily Mossburg explained why some security efforts have fallen on deaf ears, and how that needs to be fixed.

’With all of the spend in hardware, software, cool new solutions and cool new technologies -- and let’s not forget being able to truly staff a team, and have a team to help us through this -- the perception is that the [security] situation isn’t really getting any better,’ Mossburg said.

Despite more security governance than ever, as well as improved technologies and procedures, Mossburg said, hackers innovate just as quickly -- if not more quickly. Her solution is to go straight to the top.

’We need to start thinking about how we talk about risk and how we talk about security with the executives and with the board,’ she said. ’Because the perception that it’s not getting better is based upon the fact that risk still exists.’

Board members often just want to ’be done’ with their security defenses, she said.

’I think that we all know that they’re never going to be done,’ Mossburg said. ’We’re never going to be done. So how do we start to better talk about the progress that we’re making?’

The reality is that providing security is an ongoing effort, Mossburg said -- as long as adversaries exist, they will continue to find the resources to innovate and attack in new ways.

PUBLISHED SEPT. 30, 1915