\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
In a world where the demand for tech innovation is matched only by the acceleration of cybersecurity threats, businesses face the challenge of balancing new product development and robust security measures. Kevin Halkerd, Risk and Compliance Manager, and Andrea Carr, Head of Research and Development at Proptech specialist e4, say this balance isn\u2019t just a goal but the cornerstone of their strategic approach.<\/p>\n
\n
Innovation and security isn\u2019t an either\/or<\/b><\/p>\n
How can businesses balance the need for innovation without compromising on security? Part of the answer is stepping outside the dichotomy altogether. \u201cIt is so important to have both. You can\u2019t have one without the other. A business that doesn\u2019t innovate will quickly fall behind its competitors, and one without security simply won\u2019t survive,\u201d says Carr. Fortunately, this perspective is fast becoming the consensus in the industry, says Halkerd. \u201cAt CISO conferences, the prevailing message is clear: Security must be baked into the innovation plan itself. This approach ensures that security considerations are part of the developmental process from the start, and not as an afterthought,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\n
Striking the right balance early <\/b><\/p>\n
Early engagement of security teams in the innovation process should form part of the strategy from day one. \u201cTo encourage and facilitate the testing of new technologies within our organisation, we invite proposals for new tech and evaluate them alongside other similar technologies. Our goal is to create a safe space for experimentation, exploring specific use cases. Before finalising any technology, we involve e4\u2019s security team to thoroughly investigate and identify any hidden risks. This ensures that any technology we integrate is secure and appropriate for our systems. If security is brought in only at the end of an R&D process, it\u2019s already too late,\u201d Carr explains.<\/p>\n
\n
\u201cThere are so many benefits to this approach,\u201d agrees Halkerd. \u201cBy taking this kind of proactive approach in the past we\u2019ve been able to shift a selected technology from an open-source technology to a closed source technology within a day. And this is not viewed as unusual or problematic; we\u2019ve had to pivot technologies within 24 hours before, changing an entire production environment to a completely different architecture or service provider due to risk factors. This flexibility in avoiding long-term technology lock-ins makes organisations much stronger and can form part of ordinary security measured as well as the overall approach to innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
Security leading innovation<\/b><\/p>\n
In fact, it\u2019s possible for security considerations to become the driving force behind innovation says Halkerd. \u201cSecurity is often at the bleeding edge of innovation discussions. Successful AI strategies, for instance, frequently emerge from security companies that leverage advanced technologies to enhance their capabilities.\u201d This forward-thinking approach not only protects the company but also sets the stage for new technological advancements. \u201ce4 started running with AI within our environment in 2019. From a security perspective, being well ahead of the curve is something that\u2019s stood us in good stead. We\u2019re able to look into our network, identify what’s happening, identify certain anomalies, trends, and modify our approach based on that,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
\n
First to market vs. first to get it right <\/b><\/p>\n
Balancing the need to be first to market with the imperative to get it right is a nuanced challenge. \u201cIntroducing something new is difficult. Customers are understandably cautious about trusting technology to do what humans have done in the past. However, once we have one client signed up and running an enhancement we\u2019ve developed successfully, with data to prove its effectiveness, others soon follow suit,\u201d notes Carr. \u201cThe challenge then shifts to having the resources to implement it across all clients concurrently. The key is to get something 80% implemented and working efficiently, and then quickly finalise the remaining 20% to stay ahead of competitors who might be able to achieve 100%,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\n
\u201cIt’s about finding a middle ground,\u201d adds Halkerd. \u201cVCs are often the first lead market, and their perspective is entirely different from established long-term businesses. When leveraging your existing customer base, especially blue-chip clients, you want to bring them something refined and polished. More mature businesses don\u2019t necessarily need to be the first to innovate but do want to see technologies being integrated into their offering.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
Managing emerging technology<\/b><\/p>\n
Adopting emerging technologies like AI requires careful consideration of data security. Once again, involving security teams early in the process serves as an essential guardrail, ensuring that risks are identified and resolved before implementation. \u201cAt the simplest level, before adopting any new technology, ensure you understand how securely it manages data. If you don’t know the answer, don\u2019t proceed,\u201d says Carr.<\/p>\n
\n
As with many emerging technologies, it\u2019s not as much about the technology itself as it is about the data behind it. \u201cAI is going to be a significant game changer for<\/p>\n
business. Now, how do you balance security and the need for innovation in that respect,\u201d asks Halkerd. \u201cThe key is data operations. Data needs to be in a clean, usable format. If organisations can focus on that, deliver against that, and then it\u2019s possible to abstract the data safely and sensitively while keeping in mind regulations in South Africa like the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
By involving security teams early in the process, maintaining transparency, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, robust security can enhance, rather than hinder, innovation \u2013 whether it\u2019s AI or the next big innovation on the horizon.<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 In a world where the demand for tech innovation is matched only by the acceleration of cybersecurity threats, businesses face the challenge of balancing new product development and robust security measures. Kevin Halkerd, Risk and Compliance Manager, and Andrea Carr, Head of Research and Development at Proptech specialist e4, say this balance isn\u2019t just […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18951,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18948"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18948\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}