October is Digital Security Awareness Month, a topic that is increasingly present in the technology market. Not that it was previously ignored, but with the COVID-19 pandemic and a rise in cases of fraud, data theft, and... phishing, Security has become more than a necessity. It has become an integral part of the structure of companies that, whether they wanted to or not, had to embrace virtualization.
Working from home has become a reality, but for Vasu Jakkal, vice president of security, compliance and identity at Microsoft, The challenges of the current moment go beyond simply protecting the devices of employees working remotely. In her view, the change we are all currently facing also involves a shift in attitude, leading to a movement towards inclusion and simplification of digital protection concepts.
“Everyone has the right to cybersecurity and we must work together to make the world safer for everyone,” said the executive, in a presentation promoted by Microsoft, precisely in support of Digital Security Awareness Month. In her view, investments should occur not only within company structures, but also in the education and leadership sectors, in order to generate more inclusion and opportunities in a market that is as growing as it is challenging.
Jakkal speaks of a concept of digital empathy, the idea that, as new communication and connectivity platforms are created, they also generate connections between the people who use them. “[This] goes beyond just business models to generate inclusion and new opportunities, following the path of innovation and paving a way to a better world,” he explains.
The executive discusses the application of cybersecurity concepts to basic education, as well as the dissemination of the idea that protection is necessary for everyone, whether or not they are involved in a corporate structure. In the year that has seen the most discussion on the subject in technology news, Jakkal positions Microsoft as a company that is thinking outside the box, investing in simplifying an increasingly complex universe of threats.
In September, the company announced a suite of security and compliance tools that it hopes will help shape the next decade of digital transformation and data protection. The idea is to help companies not only defend themselves against hackers and other threats, but also comply with the different laws of the countries in which they operate, which may contain different regulations and requirements that need to be strictly followed.
New security approaches
“Our goal is to provide greater control and create an experience that allows them to understand their own compliance practices and what is still missing,” explains Jakkal, speaking about Compliance Manager. This corporate tool, launched a few weeks ago, provides a score for IT administrators, as well as indicating what still needs to be done and how they can reduce risks and better meet the regulatory challenges of each territory.
Furthermore, the platform is capable of applying integrated security concepts to different devices, applications, and clouds used in a company's daily operations. Management options, so essential for preventing unauthorized access, as well as automation systems and threat analysis, are also included. In this regard, Jakkal states that the increased sophistication of digital threats has helped, allowing specialists to move more quickly and apply protections more comprehensively, with technologies evolving more rapidly than just a few months ago.
The ultimate goal, the executive points out, is to eliminate the ever-growing lists of updates and accommodations that ultimately hinder the work. Microsoft also provides technical recommendation and evaluation services to its business partners, all to ensure what Jakkal calls the "simplification journey." "We know our customers are having difficulties, and we want to use our experience to change that," she adds.
expanded market
The initiative was successful, not only in terms of Microsoft's client and partner base, but also in the market as a whole. Speaking on the subject, the vice president of security also presented data from a survey on companies' responses to new cybersecurity challenges, which found that most companies are aware of the risks, increasing investments and, above all, creating new job positions.
According to the study, 581% of companies increased their digital security budgets in response to social isolation, while 80% said they opened new positions focused on this segment. 40% of the companies interviewed are looking for solutions that work in the long term, which motivates the investments, while 94% applied new defenses to their connected systems.
For Jakkal, this environment creates greater opportunities for inclusion and lowers barriers to entry. The executive, even before joining Microsoft and assuming the vice presidency of security and compliance in July, had already openly advocated for the inclusion of women in the technology market, and this hasn't changed at the giant company. Now, the idea is to ensure that this new wave of innovation the company is riding results in real impact.
The executive also sees different opportunities depending on each country. "Whoever is more advanced in this digital transformation process will be at the forefront of technology for the coming years," she says, citing India as an example of a country that, due to its territorial size and regional needs, has been adopting a digital perspective as a priority.
For these companies, the transition to remote work was simpler, while investments in technology and security also yielded greater results. According to Vakkal, this perspective applies both to national realities and to the realities of individual companies, with those that already embraced hybrid work environments before the pandemic facing fewer challenges and gaining a competitive advantage in the current situation.
What is the priority for the coming months?
Looking to the near future, the executive points to privacy as a major issue. According to her, as this digital transformation happens alongside security, people are becoming more concerned about the confidentiality of their own data, while governments are raising questions of national sovereignty linked to the new reality.
Keeping all these elements secure, checked, and compliant with regional legislation will continue to be an increasingly greater challenge. Jakkal points to transparency as the way forward, along with promoting best security practices and information campaigns about protection and also the care of one's own information. Thus, she argues, a secure and reliable environment is created, which, in the end, is what really matters in this sector.
SOURCE:
CANALTECH
