IT security is one of those things businesses sometimes think about after something goes horribly wrong. And for those tackling the e-business world this is not a good approach. Take a look at why companies should be putting security at the top of their IT shopping lists.
There are always horror stories about companies who have had their Web sites hacked, or networks penetrated, and the incalculable impact it had on their bottom line. Often these tales take on the flavour of urban mythsâ€"no one wants to own up and say it's happened to themâ€"so it all seems a little bit unreal. Unfortunately it isn't. And the business consequences of getting security wrong can be devastating.
Alex Turkington, Asia-Pacific president for vendor Top Layer Networks puts it into a business perspective when he comments that the ramifications of e-commerce security being compromised can be financial, legal and operational.
-Therefore an organisation's investment in security should be directly proportional to the value of the business," he advises. -When businesses engage in e-commerce activities it is imperative that security is a core component in their IT infrastructure."
And, as Steve Bittinger, research director at Gartner for Government, CRM and security points out, companies doing business online need to spend more time and money protecting themselves, because of the greater risks.
Why should companies care?
The dilemmaâ€"as Gregg Rowley, managing director at Internet trust company eSign Australia sees itâ€"is that the online world offers opportunities to streamline processes, but to do this you have to open up your systems and networks to give your suppliers and partners access.
Rowley cites authentication of who you allow into your network, privacy of information you want kept confidential, and protecting information on your systems from being changed, as areas companies doing business online should be considering. Non-repudiationâ€"being able to prove who has agreed to whatâ€"is also an important aspect e-businesses need to address when they're looking at IT security.
The potentially huge financial costs if you're breached or penetrated is another reason e-commerce businesses should care, according to Kim Duffy, managing director for Australasia at intrusion detection and protection software company, Internet Security Systems (ISS).
He uses the example of a bank, where if they get hacked there would be a loss of confidence. -There is increasing pressure for companies who use the Internet to do business to accept their responsibilities to provide security to their customers, business partners and staff."
