Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 22 | Page 71

POWERED BY INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Enterprise Security Is your business cyber resilient? ///////////////////////////// W ith data being likened to the oil of the digital age, decision- makers cannot afford to ignore evolving cyberthreats especially given recent examples of ransomware attacks targeting local companies. Ralph Berndt, Director of Sales at cyber resilience experts Syrex, examines the importance of thinking differently about cybersecurity. “International research shows that 54% of the global respondents admitted to being hit by instances of ransomware,” said Berndt. “The median financial impact per affected business is a staggering R1.8 million. Even more significantly, an average of two ransomware attacks per organisation were reported. Given how vital data has become to the competitive success of any business, protecting it should be an organisational priority.” traditional solution with other network device filtering functionalities. These include an application firewall using in-line deep packet inspection and intrusion prevention systems. Security done differently However, it is no longer good enough to install an anti-virus or a firewall and think it is sufficient. Cybersecurity does not happen in isolation of other business processes or is a one-off consideration. Instead, a company should view it as an organic component that needs to be adapted continually and permeate all facets of the enterprise. Already, this has seen the advent of the likes of next-generation firewalls that combine the “It is all about embracing an all- encompassing approach that includes cybersecurity, disaster recovery and business continuity management,” added Berndt. “This has seen the emergence of cyber resilience to provide a company with the ability to continue delivering on its strategic business directives in the face of malicious cyberattacks. Ralph Berndt, Director of Sales at Syrex, examines the importance of thinking differently about cybersecurity www.intelligentcio.com INTELLIGENTCIO 71