The question of data security has been, and remains, a huge issue for companies that we work with - 
and, like death and taxes - it looks like it always will be. I had a college lecturer once tell me “the only time you can be sure your data is secure is when it is stored on a machine and the machine is turned off.” Unfortunately, this is not viable nowadays as people need information at their fingertips and on the move.
I was at a conference recently which focused on “Cloud Security”. One of the topics mentioned at the conference was BYOD, defined as “Bring Your Own Data Breach” and not the traditional “Bring Your Own Device”. Apart from being an eye-catching session title, it was meant to show that when people are accessing your data through their own device whether it is on site or in the cloud, they could be infecting your data with malware or viruses. In addition to what we can now call the traditional concerns of viruses and malware, companies now have to deal with problems caused (albeit largely unwittingly) by their own employees.
Increasingly, it is common practice for company employees to use the same password for everything, so if a user’s personal email gets hacked on their home laptop this could have a knock on effect on their employer. If the same password is used for personal and company accounts, there is a risk that the company network could also be at risk from malicious prying eyes – and in worst case, serious data breeches.
Also in these times we hear a lot about buzzwords such as the “Internet of Things”. The meaning of this changes based on who is trying to sell you what, but simply put it can be explained like this.
When you wake up in the morning some of you might be able to turn the lights on in your house with your phone. Also you might have set your heating to come on to a certain temperature through your phone last night. Another major example of this would be the whole area of self-driving cars
All of these new and emerging technologies are very useful but again can be used maliciously in the wrong hands. I read an article in the Washington Post detailing where a man was driving along one day and all of a sudden his Jeep Cherokee stopped for no reason and his air conditioning came on and the radio suddenly switched to a different station. It was later discovered that the car had been hacked.
Technology has advanced but so has the threat to individuals and businesses. With greater efficiency, comes greater responsibility. Companies can have all the security policies and procedures they like, but it all comes down to personal responsibility and the education of staff to make sure they comply.
There was no external threat when the height of technology was the abacus, but an abacus is not much use in today’s business environment. Technology will always be with us – as will the threats. Companies need to find the effective balance between staff guidance and security measures. If you are too secure, you lose the benefits of using technology. It’s all about finding the correct balance.
