NETWORKS AND APPLICATIONS
The discrepancy between technology ’ s adoption , and the industry ’ s current data-security skills New technology – enabled by 5G – is being adopted at a rapid pace . “ About 55 % of the CEOs that we talk with say that , by 2026 , well over 50 % of their business will be new products that they don ’ t actually have today ,” commented Inderpal Bhandari , the Global Chief Data Officer of IBM .
“ Pre-pandemic , when we talked with CEOs , there was just a small percentage that thought of digital transformation as important . Then the pandemic hit and , over the course of about a year , we saw ( in our customers at IBM ) that the awareness at the CEO-level went through the roof . And we ’ ve probably had as much digitisation in the last year , year and a half , as we ’ ve had in the previous 10 .”
While this will open up a wealth of opportunities for the sector – and enable businesses to expand across the globe more seamlessly than ever before – there are a number of obstacles in the way . And , if these are not overcome first , there is the risk that businesses will be vulnerable to serious cybersecurity risks .
The Capgemini report identified that internal disconnect and poor collaboration are key blockades to stronger cybersecurity measures . In fact , 53 % of respondents
“ ABOUT 55 % OF THE CEOS THAT WE TALK WITH SAY THAT , BY 2026 , WELL OVER 50 % OF THEIR BUSINESS WILL BE NEW PRODUCTS THAT THEY DON ’ T ACTUALLY HAVE TODAY ”
INDERPAL BHANDARI GLOBAL CHIEF DATA OFFICER , IBM
mentioned a disconnect between the C-suite and smart factory leaders , saying that the lack of collaboration between smart-factory leaders and CSOs is hindering the organisations ’ ability to detect cyberattacks early .
Another is the cybersecurity skills gap – a growing concern that is being felt across a number of areas in the industry . There is a limited amount of upskilling within cybersecurity teams , who will need to quickly develop their knowledge to manage these new types of threats .
Mitigating the unknown – how can companies successfully prepare themselves for the next wave of data security risks ? Firstly , if a business is implementing a 5G mobile network , then the architecture and infrastructure will need to be designed with cybersecurity in mind . It ’ s a case of adopting a security mindset , right from the outset .
“ Securing a 5G network starts with securing the servers . Security needs to be built-in , not bolted on after the fact . This includes at the hardware and firmware level by leveraging an immutable Root-of-Trust that can be used to verify subsequent operations within the server . Building-in security in this way goes a long way to helping keep the broader 5G network secure when one location is breached ,” advises Sonya Mathieu , the UK
66 March 2023