Vanguard Magazine

T TEChnoloGy wATCh 42 DeCeMBer 2016/JANUArY 2017 www.vanguardcanada.com "QRA's natural language analysis tool, QVscribe, and systems analysis tool, QVtrace, aim to help domain experts rapidly hone in on potential errors early on, find vulnerabili- ties, and increase confidence in cyber systems." — Jordan Kyriakidis Many organizations don't realize how vulnerable or unprepared they really are for the increasing sophistication of attacks. In 2015, Deloitte conducted a cyber security survey that found that only nine organizations of the 103 respondents were considered highly secure. Further, the same study found that 68 per cent of organizations would not be in a position to recover quickly if they were to be targeted. Specifically, SMEs are often easier targets be- cause in many cases their defence systems against such attacks are not as developed as in larger businesses. They can also provide an access route to larger business networks, which can provide incen- tive. StaySafeOnline.org reports that small businesses are victims of 71 per cent of data breaches, and that almost half of Canadian small businesses have been targeted. For small businesses, ensur- ing security can be expensive and, prior to an intrusion, may not be a complete priority. Security is crucial As the world changes and users are making more information available online due to emerging technologies, the importance of keeping this information secure becomes more critical. Ensuring better security within your organization can begin with monitor- ing your networks, establishing user controls, and ensuring that your employees are trained on password protection, data encryp- tion, and data backups. Even if you have implemented a successful cyber security policy, the environment is always changing, and companies must be con- tinually improving and adapting their defences. It is, in a sense, an arms race. Or let's call it a "constant" cat-and-mouse game. This is especially true in the instance of a company that stores large amounts of data online, but should not exclude companies that aren't based in this type of technology. Canadian companies and companies around the globe must put in significant effort to be aware of their own vulnerabilities and commit to maintaining accountability to their customers. OMX, for instance, has invested heavily in cyber security and is proud to have much higher security levels on many fronts than most online banks. The transformation and millennials The reality is that people are becoming more and more in tune with using technology and rely on it heavily. As this transforma- tion occurs, technology is seen much less as a threat and more as a part of everyday life, and as a critical tool to effectively get things done. It just no longer works to manage companies and your own lives manually and not to leverage software, data, and the cloud environment. You know everyone is moving to the cloud when even the federal government moves in that direction. In this changing environment, users become less focused on the potential risks of using certain technologies and more focused on the convenience, ease and efficiency at which they help complete a certain task. This trend is seen in the way that millennials in particular ap- proach technology and cyber security. Millennials, who are mov- ing up in the workforce, are reported to be significantly less cau- tious about security. This group has grown up using technology in their everyday lives and arguably know technology best. How- ever, this experience and ease of use has earned their trust, with many not thinking twice about the potential risks or vulnerabili- ties to which they are exposing themselves (em dash) and in many instances also the companies that they work for. A study by TrackIt reported that 60 per cent of millennials "aren't concerned about corporate security when they use person- al apps instead of corporate-approved apps." The same study also found that 70 per cent of millennials have brought outside apps into the workplace in violation of the company's IT policies. Fur- ther research by Softchoice shows that millennials are more likely to use cloud applications such as Dropbox and Google Drive. Technology tools have enabled individuals and groups to work faster, collaborate easier, have more access to vast amounts of information, and have empowered people to learn and become more prosperous. These are all fantastic benefits that have had large, overly positive impacts on society. However, cyber security is key in balancing how to protect this ability without going too far and compromising the freedom, openness, and ease of use of The QRA Corp Team

• Cover