The
COVID-19
pandemic
fell
like
a
stone
in
a
quiet
pond.
It
triggered
a
series
of
360-degree
waves
of
change
for
all
organisations.
The
biggest
of
these
changes
was
accelerated
digitalisation
and
its
consequences.
While
more
data
can
help
businesses
achieve
and
grow,
the
new
post-pandemic
business
daily
life
still
finds
organisations
more
exposed
to
cyber
attacks
and
more
vulnerable
to
failures
in
data
protection.
Protecting
the
enormous
amount
of
data
businesses
are
now
inundated
with
is
critical
to
ensure
digital
transformation
plans
succeed.
To
do
that,
companies
and
their
employees
need
knowledge
–
and
there’s
no
quicker
way
to
tap
that
knowledge
than
through
an
IT
partner.
With
the
right
partners,
businesses
can
build
a
solid
cybersecurity
foundation
to
reduce
risk
and
encourage
innovative,
resilient
thinking.
Uncertainty
in
the
face
of
the
data
challenge
Companies
are
managing
ten
times
more
data
than
they
did
five
years
ago,
according
to
the
Dell
Global
Data
Protection
Index
(GDPI).
Data,
a
philosopher’s
stone
for
the
expansion
of
business
and
a
new
smart
economy,
sparked
a
new
gold
rush.
The
frenzy
to
take
strategic
advantage
of
data
is
pushing
the
operational
capacity
of
technology
infrastructure
in
companies
to
the
limit
and
has
put
in
check
the
responsiveness
of
IT
teams.
According
to
the
Dell
Technologies
Breakthrough
Report,
61%
of
Australian
respondents
worry
the
opportunity
to
become
a
data-driven
business
will
pass
them
by,
while
39%
fear
employees
will
be
overwhelmed
by
the
velocity,
volume
and
variety
of
data.
The
2021
Data
Paradox
study
delves
further
into
the
issue;
while
67%
of
companies
globally
need
more
data
than
they
can
generate,
75%
collect
more
information
than
they
can
analyse
and
use.
Although
6
out
of
10
companies
are
aware
that
migrating
to
an
as-a-service
(aaS)
model
would
allow
them
to
scale
and
be
more
agile,
only
22%
have
taken
the
final
step.
Things
get
complicated
if
we
focus
on
the
state
of
data
security
and
protection.
The
results
of
the
GDPI
survey
reveal
that
62%
of
companies
fear
that
their
current
data
protection
policies
are
insufficient
in
the
face
of
cyber
threats
such
as
ransomware.
This
fear
is
supported
by
results
showing
that
82%
of
IT
leaders
fall
prey
to
uncertainty
about
whether
their
existing
data
protection
solutions
will
be
effective
in
the
face
of
future
business
challenges.
Knowledge
in
the
face
of
the
uncertainties
of
digital
change
Uncertainty
and
fear
stem
from
a
lack
of
knowledge,
and
research
shows
that
Australian
employees
and
IT
leaders
often
feel
they
lack
the
requisite
skills
to
manage
digital
transformation.
While
assessing
the
skills
and
abilities
of
staff
in
companies
around
the
world
for
digital
transformation,
the
Breakthrough
Report
found
more
than
70%
of
Australian
respondents
were
concerned
they
didn’t
have
the
necessary
skills
to
carry
out
their
organisations’
digital
transformation.
The
shortage
of
professionals
trained
in
DevOps,
the
cloud,
automation,
artificial
intelligence,
data
science
and
cybersecurity
is
known,
but
perhaps
more
limiting
are
the
shortcomings
in
attitudes
such
as
resilient
thinking
or
a
culture
of
innovation
among
work
teams.
In
the
current
cyber
climate,
these
forward-thinking
attitudes
are
essential.
The
Australian
Cyber
Security
Centre
(ACSC)
reported
one
cyber
attack
every
7
minutes
in
2021-2022,
an
increase
from
8
minutes
in
2021
and
10
minutes
the
year
prior.
Flexible
working
options,
while
positive
for
workers
and
businesses
in
many
ways,
appear
to
be
partly
responsible
for
the
uptick.
A
new
study
found
remote
work
increases
cyber
attack
frequency
by
238%,
and
another
study
reported
84%
of
global
IT
leaders
say
that
data
loss
prevention
is
more
challenging
with
a
remote
workforce.
With
devices
sprawling
outside
of
a
secure
office
network
and
increasing
attack
surfaces,
it’s
difficult
for
companies
to
control
the
situation.
Businesses
must
arm
their
employees
with
the
right
knowledge,
the
right
attitude,
and
an
understanding
of
how
they
can
help
thwart
cybercriminals
if
they
heed
the
security
policies
their
organisation
has
put
in
place.
IT
partners
bridge
the
knowledge
gap
Instilling
a
message
of
shared
safety
and
responsibility
into
the
organisation’s
culture
is
paramount.
Companies
must
also
make
that
behaviour
the
default
by
deploying
intrinsically
safe
technology
and
technological
processes.
Alone,
this
can
be
a
big
task,
which
is
why
they
need
technological
allies
that
guarantee
the
security
and
protection
of
data,
from
the
technological
components
of
a
solution
to
the
visibility
of
processes
in
complex
cloud
environments.
IT
partners
bring
their
specialised
skills
and
expertise
to
help
organisations
reduce
cyber
risk,
embrace
innovation
and
manage
workplace
flexibility.
Businesses
should
look
for
partners
with
the
right
experience
and
skills
to
plug
knowledge
gaps,
a
forward-thinking
mindset,
and
a
clear
vision
for
the
company.
The
right
IT
partner
should
complement
a
company’s
existing
skillset.
It’s
a
collaborative
relationship
that
can
foster
the
same
spirit
within
the
organisation,
encouraging
shared
knowledge.
Moving
forward
with
digital
transformation
For
employees
and
IT
leaders
to
feel
confident
in
managing
and
protecting
their
data
and
to
move
forward
with
digital
transformation,
bridging
the
knowledge
gap
is
critical.
With
the
aid
of
an
IT
partner,
CIOs
can
protect
data
and
applications
no
matter
where
users
are
and
update
their
security
protocols,
aligning
them
with
the
initiatives
and
challenges
of
accelerated
digital
transformation
across
the
enterprise.
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