Strategic Insights: Digital & Security Pitfalls

strategic IT insights from the week

Strategic Insights: Digital & Security Pitfalls [2021]

Next Dimension curates the most practical and useful tools and strategic IT insights from the web.  This week we shared articles across our social media talking about Digital & Security Pitfalls to watch out for in 2021.

Of these 7 Digital Leadership mistakes, #5 may as well be called the Cardinal Sin.

Enterprise project lists the seven most critical mistakes that could be made when developing your Digital Strategy.  The seven sins are listed below, and the article itself gives tips on “what to do instead”.

1. Assuming financial support for transformation initiatives
2. Focusing on output
3. Underestimating and under-communicating requirements
4. Top-down leadership
5. Treating digital transformation as an IT project
6. Infrequent or inaccurate updates
7. Lack of formal ownership

In our view, #5 is the Cardinal Sin. Digital Transformation must be an organizational initiative – not a “project” for IT to deliver.

SOURCE: ENTERPRISE PROJECT

Time to button up those loose security policies from the WFH disruption!

Almost every company on the planet had to loosen and suspend security policies to allow remote access like never before.  As companies plan for the long term “Hybrid Work Plan”, it’s time to button up those loose ends before a cyber attack.

Operational Security must review these key areas:

Tightening up the loose security policies to allow WFH connectivity
Standardizing and monitoring of access to the many connected devices
Protecting the data that is moving in and out of the core network
Streamlining devices and operating systems that have access to critical data

Bottom line? Zero Trust policies will become the norm before the end of 2021.

SOURCE: CYBERSECURITY DIVE

53% of Executives said “improving business continuity and resiliency” is their top priority. Here’s how to make it yours, too:

Information Week shared a number of insights, including some telling statistics from a recent Harvard Business Review.  Executives are ready, now more than ever, to invest in business technology.  Business are turning to so-called “Digital Leaders” to head the transformation, but how do you know a qualified Digital Leader when you see one?  Here are three attributes to be on the lookout for:

1. They create and empower a culture that is primed for change
2. They embrace a digital-first mindset that prioritizes automation, data analytics, and real-time customer demands
3. They employ rapid-cycle innovation to achieve quick wins for the business that also materialize as long term transformation efforts

BONUS TIP: Look for the candidate that is passionate about transforming SAFELY; governance, policy, and security should be their top priority.

SOURCE: INFORMATION WEEK

2021 will see a rise of security threats targeting employees working from home.  Are yours safe?

ThreatPost says the WFH employee will be remain the biggest target, and mobile endpoints will likely be the attack vector of choice.  This means, cyber strategies (and budgets!) need to be reviewed.  Few experts can actually agree on where the threats will originate in 2021, so ThreatPost did their best round-up to give you a few areas to keep a watchful eye:

Insider Threats
Inbox Bullseye
Cybersecurity Cloud Burst
AI and Machine Learning Vulnerabilities
Mobile Menace

To the surprise of no one, remote workers will remain the most vulnerable, while added AI/ML could create the most new vulnerabilities.

SOURCE: THREATPOST

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