Risks and opportunities of mobile ICTs

The rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the last 30 years has changed the way we work, particularly with the arrival of the Internet and network technologies in the workplace. The digital transformation is happening at an unprecedented pace. What was new yesterday is now a crucial part of our business processes, and mobility solutions like smartphones, tablets and cloud computing present companies with a vast array of new opportunities — and a whole new set of risks.

Benefits of mobile ICT

Mobile devices, with the increasingly rich array of features and functionality they offer, are having a profound impact on our daily lives and practices. The use of mobile technologies at work offers a number of benefits such as autonomy, flexibility and responsiveness, not to mention a considerable increase in individual productivity. And of course mobile ICTs make it easier to communicate, access information and share knowledge.

Risks for companies

The impact of mobile technologies on companies is much more complex, because they present a whole new set of risks for organisations and their information assets. Proprietary data from customer databases to corporate strategy documents can be accessed via mobile ICT from anywhere at any time. This increased reliance on technology combined with the explosion in mobile devices has created some real challenges for companies.

Trends in cloud computing and mobility are constantly moving forward, and companies have no choice but to adapt to these changes in order to meet employee expectations and improve competitive performance. However, as technologies evolve, increasing numbers of hacking attacks are being launched by groups or individuals around the world, becoming more sophisticated and potentially more damaging every day. Typically, the purpose of these attacks is to steal confidential information and in turn compromise the business operations of the companies targeted.

How can companies mitigate the risks without losing their competitive edge?

Attacks against corporate information systems are becoming an increasingly serious threat. And information is more volatile due to employee mobility and the ubiquitous use of mobile technologies, which further exacerbates the risk. Companies need to capitalise on the benefits of mobility without losing sight of the risks it poses to the security of their information systems. That means implementing effective IT security policies to protect their systems in today’s fast-moving economy.

Thales provides a comprehensive response to the need to protect critical information systems for governments, essential operators and enterprise customers.

Thales solutions underwrite IT system security and resilience throughout the system lifecycle. Our expertise, solutions and services span every aspect of cybersecurity, from cryptology to penetration testing, from risk analysis to security audits. We offer network security, operating system security and database security, security architectures, configuration and implementation of business applications as well as training and rapid response solutions. We also provide hardware and software evaluation and certification services to assure compliance with international standards.

For more information about Thales’s cybersecurity solutions, click here.