Table of Content
- Increased Risk for Damage and Data Theft
- New Entry Points for Attacks
- DDoS and Similar Attacks Can be Devastating
- Continuous Improvement Means Constant Change
- More Employees Accessing Tech Systems
- You Make a More Attractive Target
Whether your business is planning a digital transformation, going through one, or recently completed one, there are many things that you need to consider. One of the most important areas of concern is going to be digital security. With all the technology related changes that your business will go through, it is easy to overlook certain cybersecurity precautions that need to be in place to keep your company protected.
Every year hundreds of businesses experience some type of data security breach, and in many cases it can be very costly and damaging to their reputation. Taking the time to look at common security vulnerabilities that are exposed during a digital transformation will help ensure your business is protected from any security threats.
Increased Risk for Damage and Data Theft
The first thing to consider when looking at updating your digital security strategy after a digital transformation is the fact that you will have much more potential for damage and theft. A digital transformation makes your business very technology forward. This means you will almost certainly have additional customer facing technologies, you will gather much more data, and will be using additional back end technology to support the business. This dramatically increases the potential loss in the event of a security breach. Even a minor digital security breach could now be disastrous for the business, which is why it is so important to take the threat seriously.
New Entry Points for Attacks
When going through a digital transformation you will undoubtedly be setting up new public facing systems. This could include a website, an online ordering system, email addresses, and much more. In addition to providing customers with better overall services, these are also all entry points for attackers to attempt to exploit. Every customer facing system that is set up needs to be looked at closely to ensure it is properly secured at all times.
DDoS and Similar Attacks Can be Devastating
If your company has moved to serving more of your customers online, it is essential that your website and other digital portals are up to help them at all times. If a hacker directs a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack at your systems, it can be very difficult to recover if you weren’t ready. Even a relatively small attack can overwhelm your systems, taking your website and other services offline until the attacks tops or is mitigated. If you rely on these digital portals for your customers, make sure you have some type of DDoS mitigation in place before the attack ever begins.
Continuous Improvement Means Constant Change
Part of a digital transformation is encouraging continuous improvement in your technical systems. This means having regular changes put into production. As anyone who has worked in IT knows, changes are one of the most common causes of outages. Changes can also accidentally cause a security vulnerability. Having a team evaluate all changes prior to approving them will help to identify conflicts, errors, and security risks before they are put into production.
More Employees Accessing Tech Systems
As your company adds more advanced technical systems, additional employees will be using them to serve customers. User errors and actions are one of the biggest causes of problems in any computer system. This includes making errors that could result in a security breach. Providing employees with the IT security training they need based on their role in the company and their security permissions will help to minimize the risk in this area. This is especially important if you are having employees work from home, which is common after a digital transformation. Working from home opens up new security vulnerabilities that need to be addressed before letting this happen.
You Make a More Attractive Target
One last thing to think about is the fact that you are now going to be a more attractive target for hackers than you were before. Companies that put digital first will have more that hackers can steal. This will not only attract a higher total number of potential attackers, but it can also bring the attention of more sophisticated hackers. If you don’t have a comprehensive security strategy in place, your business will be more vulnerable to these attacks.
While the security threats that companies face after a digital transformation are real, there are things that can be done to keep your systems safe. For example, most digital transformations will involve moving some or all of your IT infrastructure to cloud systems. Top cloud systems like AWS or Azure will provide excellent security features and tools to improve your defenses. In addition, your digital transformation should include the budget needed to set up the needed layers of protection to keep your systems secure. When done properly, the benefits of a well-thought out digital transformation will far outweigh the added risks.
