AI Transformation and the Journey to Protect Our Assets - PYA to CYA…
See how the ARCI risk management framework can work for your organization
With many companies still at the beginning of their digital transformation journey, we are already turning our attention to the new issues posed by AI, before having solved many of the digital risks that remain a persistent challenge for organizations.
The potential damage lurking in the shadows behind us, and on the short horizon ahead of us, is undoubtedly concerning, however, it's important to acknowledge that many organizations are making genuine efforts to address the fundamentals required to take cybersecurity seriously.
What can we all do to move the needle and continue to advance our efforts in cybersecurity, governance risk and compliance?
While some may feel that the recurring nature of security breaches sounds like a broken record, it's crucial to recognize the lessons embedded within. Phishing attempts, unpatched vulnerabilities, and lax processes often dominate discussions in the cybersecurity community. These topics may seem repetitive, but they serve as reminders to:
Reinforce defenses
Monitor and verify
Train and communicate
Implement strong governance procedures
Monitor, verify and update
Repetition plays a significant role in the risk management space. While fear can be a powerful motivator, the repetition of warnings about supply chain attacks, vulnerabilities, and ransomware is what eventually drives organizations to take action.
CTO’s and CISO’s both agree that repetition is necessary to hammer home the preventable dangers for business leaders who need to hear these messages the most.
One common issue is the overextension of privileges, connectivity, and access, both during and post-termination, is a recurring issue. The implementation of periodic access review (quarterly by ISO Standards) should be a common practice and standard in any organization.
While it's important to acknowledge that the threat landscape is evolving and every organization is now a target, seeking ways to reduce risk and implementing effective security controls can be achieved with minimal effort where automation and software supports the tracking and monitoring of risks and controls across the organization.
By staying informed, and adopting a more proactive approach to risk management, where risk and controls are identified and tracked by impacted assets, companies can better evaluate their risk exposure and act accordingly. More and more companies are adopting this method of risk management and engaging the entire organization in the business of managing and preventing risk. Risk is, after all, everyone’s business…
C1Risk is the leading automation tool for asset-based risk and compliance management. Based upon our trademarked ARCI methodology, the C1Risk platform enables clients to map core company assets to risks and issues, as well as any mitigating and preventative controls. See how ARCI can work for your organization.
So, let us embrace this journey of progress. It’s encouraging to hear the dialogue around AI and its positives and negatives, as the discussion equally calls for greater accountability and better management of information and risk across all organizations. We should all benefit from these types of conversations and any subsequent actions.
The fact that organizations are actively discussing and sharing these threats year after year demonstrates their commitment to protecting their valuable assets. By continuing to learn, adapt, and implement best practices, we can create a safer digital environment for all. Together, we will prevail against the ever-evolving digital risks.