Against landscape in which security threats are growing in volume and complexity, business leaders agree they should—and can—think beyond the traditional horizons of their security efforts. This is according to The meaning of security in the 21st century, a white paper published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and sponsored by Palo Alto Networks. The report draws on a survey of 150 board members and C-suite executives. Widespread social issues present business risk for companies around the globe. Many of these issues, such as hostility to globalisation and poverty, lie beyond the scope of any single company or collection of companies to influence. Executives are confident in political authorities’ ability to mitigate the causes of insecurity, but there remain opportunities for companies to address their exposure to the threats motivated by insecurities.
Fully 70% of survey respondents agree their company’s board needs a better informed understanding of the underlying causes of insecurity, and indeed the research finds that responsibility to monitor and discuss the factors and cultural environment that drive security risks is climbing the C-suite agenda, particularly among cyber security experts. Furthermore, there are increasing instances of companies collaborating with peers to identify areas where formal alliances and sharing of security intelligence can create positive change. Many of these efforts are focused on the collective strengthening of cyber defenses.
Rebecca Lipman, the white paper's editor, said: “Many root causes of insecurity seen around the globe, such as ideological differences and income inequality, are actively compromising business decisions and security efforts. But our white paper confirms that many efforts are already underway, through education and the development of public and private alliances. Particularly through cyber, we see many real-time opportunities for business communities to work together, and in the long run, global security standards and technological approaches are being developed that put real barriers between bad actors and a company’s continued operation. ”
