t cht lk utilities , health care , public transportation and energy facilities , all of which have seen massive transformation over the last couple of years .
Previously , there was a physical barrier or a ‘ gap ’ between OT systems and IT systems . But ever since the notorious Stuxnet attack in 2010 , OT networks have increasingly been under attack . We see large-scale malware , phishing , ransomware and denial of service attacks , as well as insider breaches .
We ' ve seen OT cyberattacks target national electricity grids , darkening the homes of hundreds of thousands . We ' ve seen targeted attacks against public waterworks and so on , so it ' s not something that can be ignored . We use many playbook technologies to provide an effective security stack in the OT space , but we also use some more specific technologies , such as Artificial Intelligence and deception . These allow us to take care of issues in the OT environments like providing early post breach detection , reducing dwell time of a network breach , reducing false positives . And then of course one of the most important things is full automation .
How would you suggest that organisations can ensure that security is at the heart of their Digital Transformation strategy ?
We ' ve definitely seen a major increase in efforts to fast-track Digital Transformation plans as a result of the pandemic . And as fast as companies are trying to build systems to facilitate the Digital Transformation , criminals are devising methods to infiltrate organisations This forces security right to the top of the priority list . This is important for organisations to create a security-driven networking strategy from the ground up that automatically expands into any new networking environment , application strategy , or device deployment . Saving security matters until after the network has been developed only increases the odds of new security gaps being introduced and a resulting cyberattack .
To prevent this from happening and to create a security-driven network , organisations should follow these seven best practices to better secure their Digital Transformation efforts : Prioritising Cloud Security , Use Zero Trust Access Protocols , Stay Upto-Date on Privacy Laws , Monitoring Web Presence , Securing Apps , Strengthening Wireless Connections , Extending Security to Remote Locations .
Digital Transformation is a business-critical priority , but if cybersecurity is not rolled in from day one , organisations will leave themselves , their employees , and their customers open to serious cyber risk . Starting
with security , rather than leaving it as an afterthought , is how organisations can harness the digital era the smart , safe , and secure way .
How can CISOs effectively communicate with the wider C-suite ?
My first suggestion is always ‘ ignore the data at your own peril ’. Quite simply , no organisational function can reside in its own silo and succeed today . Significant synergies and opportunities need to exist . CISOs need to be current , proactive and , most importantly , never shy away from sharing bad news .
Are there any technology trends that you expect to see in 2021 that that regional organisations should be factoring into their cybersecurity strategies ?
I think going into 2021 and beyond , we face another significant shift with the rise of new intelligent Edges . And this is about more than just end users and devices remotely connecting to the network . FortiGuard Labs have put together a set of predictions and for 2021 year they ' ve estimated the strategies that we anticipate cybercriminals will leverage in the coming year and beyond .
It includes , but is not limited to , predictions and insights on intelligent Edge Computing , 5G-enabled devices and advances in computing power , as well as the new wave of advanced threats that will undoubtedly arise as a result . p
Perry Hutton , Vice President – Africa , Fortinet
www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA 69