In this week's edition of news for IT pros, IoT security concerns, and why CIOs are in a tough position.
Securing the Internet of Things
This week we published an article from Bryson Koehler, executive vice president and CIO of The Weather Company, in which he discusses the huge potential of the Internet of Things – but also underscores the necessity to solve IoT's security issues. Tim Sparapani, a contributor for Forbes, echoes this point, saying, “Security is paramount, and if manufacturers don’t take steps to assure the public that their devices are secure, that revolution will be delayed.”
The IoT future impacts us all as consumers, but what are the implications for CIOs as we move toward a workplace in which almost every device is connected to the Internet? Jen A. Miller touches on this in CIO Magazine this week, pointing out that CIOs are in a difficult position. While security threats are real and every connected device is a potential entry point for hackers, Miller says that CIOs will need address the perceived risk while still allowing innovation to happen by not being an alarmist.
Another reason CIOs are in a difficult position related to security is that, according to a survey by Palo Alto Networks, nearly half (46 percent) of C-level executives surveyed “believe that ultimate responsibility for cyber security falls to IT.” Worryingly, when asked about their own knowledge around security issues, “13 percent said they only 'kind of' understand what defines an online security risk to a businesses.” By passing the buck on security responsibility, Palo Alto Networks suggests that organizations are making themselves, “more exposed to a breach, along with the monetary and reputational damage which follow such an incident,” Danny Palmer reports in ZDNet.
In related news, this week CenturyLink's Chief Security Officer Dave Mahon provided insight for CIOs into the five "bad actors" of cyberthreats. Refer to his Q&A for tips on keeping the enterprise secure.
More news for CIOs
Amy Doherty's Path From Interim To Permanent CIO Of AARP [Forbes]
When it comes to security, it's the data, stupid [InfoWorld]
Nike’s Hiring Of A Chief Digital Officer Amplifies The Dominance Of Tech In The Sports World [Sport Techie]
