By Tom Noda
Information security firm Blue Coat Systems is pushing local firms to secure their mobile IT infrastructure not only to deter cyber criminals but also to improve their business competency.
According to Blue Coat’s chief security strategist and senior vice president Hugh Thompson, a company can differentiate itself from the rest by building a strategy around security.
During a local press briefing on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at the Shangri-La hotel in Makati City, Thompson introduced Blue Coat’s latest business assurance technology designed to help enterprises to use security in order to do more rather than just preventions.
“When users can safely harness the best that mobile, cloud and Web can offer, they are empowered to create, collaborate, innovate and be more productive,” Thompson said.
Thompson revealed that Metro Manila residents have an average of 4.6 connected devices, with studies showing that the main reason for their use is social.
“Today we see more corporations adopting technologies meant for consumers and the apps are driven by users and they choose apps that can make them more productive,” Thompson said, noting the most productive people in offices are those who have adopted their own devices.
However, he noted that the country?s social environment brings security challenges for businesses.
The Blue Coat exec said local businesses can address these challenges by setting up a security policy that is effective but won?t stifle the productivity of its workers.
Thompson, who was named one of the “Top 5 Most Influential Thinkers in IT Security” by a magazine in 2006, urged companies to think about security in a whole new way as it can be a catalyst for enabling more productivity, efficiency, creativity and collaboration.
“Today is a very transformative time for security,” he said. “There has never been a time of having more security in the business.”
