Balancing the strengths and vulnerabilities of advanced enterprise technology

AI, IoT, and other evolving technologies have accelerated innovation and enabled striking process transformations across industries. However, the rapid adoption of new technologies has also given rise to cyber security threats that are both novel and profound. Many executives are still working to determine the best ways to manage the risks associated with AI, ML, quantum computing, and other advanced solutions. 

Staying ahead of cyber threats has always required a substantial investment of funds and resources. Now, in an era of smarter, more capable threat actors, many business leaders are beginning to question whether the costs are sustainable. In the most cyber resilient organizations, executives are shifting focus from threat prevention to the development of agile strategies for incident response. But for these strategies to be effective, an org-wide culture of knowledge sharing and ongoing stakeholder education is essential.

A purpose-built tech stack

There are significant competitive advantages that come with investing in advanced technology. But with each new implementation opening businesses up to a range of new risks, rigorous standards for software selection have become more crucial than ever.

Before expanding their tech stacks, executives should aim to identify the precise areas of business they intend to improve and determine whether a given solution will support the necessary growth. This will likely require collaboration across departments, and consultations with stakeholders who can highlight processes and initiatives that aren't supported by existing systems.

At the most basic level, a lean, purpose-built tech stack presents fewer vulnerabilities for malicious actors to exploit. But it is also more easily monitored, enabling IT and security teams to isolate threats when they emerge, and deploy robust response protocols across the organization.

Unfortunately, even businesses that set out to limit their implementations may struggle to do so. It's not uncommon for employees to turn to unsanctioned applications to address evolving market demands and more complex job responsibilities. To minimize the usage (and risks) of Shadow IT, a shift from one-off applications to more comprehensive software suites may be necessary. Through a unified, integrated application ecosystem, leadership can achieve greater degrees of trackability and transparency across the organization.

After the initial application selection process, ongoing feedback and evaluation is often essential. By routinely assessing implemented solutions, and the degree to which they support organizational goals, business leaders can more easily maintain a streamlined and effective tech stack.

Stakeholder training and education

An organization's employees can have a powerful impact on cyber security and resilience. It is therefore crucial to ensure that stakeholders across functions are in sync about how technology should be used and how threats should be managed. This is more easily achieved when education surrounding new implementations extends past the software onboarding period and becomes a routine feature of organizational culture.

Ideally, training will equip employees with strategies for identifying and responding to modern cyber threats. Employees should, for example, be able to identify an AI-generated phishing email or recognize signs of poisoning in the company's ML models. The most impactful training programs will also familiarize employees with internal protocols for incident response, exploring the granular roles they will be expected to perform in the event of a breach.

Whether a business chooses to relay this information through webinars, in-person training sessions, or a regularly-updated knowledge base, it is important to ensure that the results of its efforts are measurable. This requirement is often overlooked—A government study of UK businesses found that only 19% had actually tested their employees' cyber attack responses.

Businesses that possess the necessary resources may benefit from designating a team to assess employee reactions to signs of a data breach or external tampering with company software. At the very least, org leaders should monitor incidents over time and track trends in employee responses. Through these efforts, they can address any clear gaps in stakeholder knowledge and take the necessary action to prevent repeat incidents.

A balanced approach to modern technology

Despite the associated risks, refusal to adopt emerging technology is not a viable option for modern businesses. And paradoxically, it may not be the most secure option either. When implemented and managed strategically, many cutting-edge technologies can actually improve existing security systems and processes.

SSO, for example, can enhance security for routine processes by bringing an extra layer of protection to the apps employees use every day. It also reduces password fatigue, which can cost businesses as much as $670.36 in productivity per employee each year. Meanwhile, AI can be used to monitor vast amounts of data for anomalies—and when companies opt for embeddable AI tools, they benefit from features like data analysis and consolidation, while avoiding the risks of sharing their data with multiple third-parties.

Whether an organization can deploy advanced technology in a way that supports, rather than detracts, from its security goals largely hinges on its willingness to evolve usage policies and training strategies as the threat landscape demands. In the near future, organizations that capitalize on the strengths of new technology without becoming complacent in its performance will be in the best position to remain competitive, profitable, and resilient.