CISO accountability in the era of software supply chain security
A CISO now needs to start acting like a CFO on their very first day in the
role. CISOs no longer have the freedom to prioritize business interests and
subordinate cybersecurity, because they will be found liable for
misrepresenting security practices in the event of a cyber-incident. CFOs
can’t let some fraud, financial crime, absence of key stated controls, or
insider dealing go while they ease into the role, and CISOs will need to start
acting the same way regarding their company’s security program. While some may
find this new era of CISO accountability a threat, they need to look at the
massive opportunity as well — and the opportunity is quite big! Yes, CISOs
will have more work to do with this new level of scrutiny and accountability.
However, this new era will allow them to take a more senior and influential
role in the organization, receive greater allocations of resources to maintain
an appropriate level of perceived risk, prioritize critical enterprise
security needs, and be fully transparent on what security issues their company
is dealing with. And because CISOs and their respective companies will be more
transparent and accountable, this should lead to greater trust in them from
customers, board members, investors, employees, regulators, and the
communities in which they operate.
From Chaos to Control: Nurturing a Culture of Data Governance
Data architecture encompasses the design, structure, and organization of data
assets. It involves defining the blueprint for how data is collected, stored,
processed, accessed, and managed throughout its lifecycle. Data architecture
sets the foundation for data governance by establishing standards, principles,
and guidelines for data management. It encompasses aspects such as data
models, data flow diagrams, database design, and the integration of data
across different systems. Effective data architecture is crucial for ensuring
data consistency, integrity, and accessibility, aligning data assets with the
organization's goals and objectives. Data modeling is a specific aspect of
data architecture that involves creating visual representations (models) of
the data and its relationships within an organization. This process helps in
understanding and documenting the structure of data entities, attributes, and
their interactions. Data modeling plays a vital role in data governance by
providing a standardized way to communicate and document data requirements,
ensuring a collective understanding among stakeholders.
Cloud migration is still a pain
The cloud providers sold the cloud as something that needed to be leveraged
ASAP, so massive workloads and data sets were lifted and shifted to this new
“miracle platform.” Three things occurred: First, it was more expensive than
we thought. I use the unproven number of the cloud costing 2.5 times what
enterprises believed it would cost to operate workloads and data sets in the
cloud. This all blew up in 2022, when we also had the accommodation of
workloads moved during the pandemic, many with unimproved applications and
data sets. Second, poorly designed, developed, and deployed applications moved
from enterprise data centers to the cloud, where applications still need to be
better designed, developed, and deployed. We’re paying more for them to run in
the cloud since we’re paying for the existing inefficiencies. ... Finally,
enterprises aren’t learning from their mistakes. I’ve often been taken aback
by the amount of lousy cloud reality that most enterprises accept. Although
some have moved back to enterprise data centers, some are indeed funding
application and data optimization. We’re still getting a C- in returning value
to the business, our shared objective.
The Growing Demand for Infrastructure Resiliency—How Digital Transformation Can Help
According to Bademosi, “”Integrating digital technologies is not just a trend,
it is the next frontier in creating sustainable, resilient, and advanced
infrastructure systems. As we look to the future, it is evident that digital
technology will be at the heart of every innovation” The benefits of
harnessing new technologies and transforming infrastructure seem limitless.
But government agencies and industry partners may not know where to start.
According to Bademosi, it begins by gauging the current state of critical
infrastructure systems and what is needed for the future. What are the
strengths, weaknesses, and potential opportunities available for
infrastructure? Next, it’s important to foster collaborations across
government agencies, industry leaders, and the communities that will be
impacted by the proposed project. Industry partners and government agencies
then need to empower their workforce with the training they need to deploy
these technologies on future projects. Once training is complete, they can
begin to experiment with these new technologies on smaller pilot projects,
using them as workshops to test strategies.
Falling into the Star Gate of Hidden Microservices Costs
We’re not going to argue that monoliths are perfect. But an intentionally
designed monolith has a comprehensible solution to each flaw, and unlike a
microservices architecture, each one you resolve creates a feedback loop of
improvement with internal scope. To improve your monolith in some dimension —
performance scaling, the ease of onboarding for new developers, the sheer
quality of your code — you need to invest in the application itself, not
abstract the problem to a third party or accept a higher cloud computing bill,
hoping that scale will solve your problems. Of their experience, the Amazon
Prime Video team wrote, “Moving our service to a monolith reduced our
infrastructure cost by over 90%. It also increased our scaling capabilities. …
The changes we’ve made allow Prime Video to monitor all streams viewed by our
customers and not just the ones with the highest number of viewers. This
approach results in even higher quality and an even better customer
experience.” Since the Amazon Prime Video engineering team published their
blog post, many have argued about whether their move is a major win for
monoliths, the same-old microservices architecture with new branding or a
semantic misinterpretation of what a “service” is.
The importance of IoT visibility in OT environments
The surge of sensory data volume and network traffic generated by IIoT devices
can overwhelm existing network infrastructure. Outdated hardware and bandwidth
constraints can severely cripple the efficient operation of these
interconnected systems. Scaling up and modernizing infrastructure becomes
imperative in paving the way for a flourishing IIoT ecosystem. ... In the
intricate game of cyber defense, network visibility reigns supreme. The map
and compass guide defenders through the ever-shifting digital landscape,
illuminating the hidden pathways where threats dwell. Organizations navigate
murky waters without it, blind to threat actors weaving through their systems.
Network visibility emerges as the antidote, empowering defenders with a
four-pronged shield: early threat detection, where anomalies transform into
bright beacons revealing potential attacks before they escalate. Secondly, it
facilitates swift incident response, allowing isolation and mitigation of the
affected area like quarantining a digital contagion; proactive threat hunting,
where defenders actively scour network data for lurking adversaries and hidden
vulnerabilities, pre-empting attacks before they materialize.
Embrace Change: Navigating Digital Transformation for Sustainable Success
Staying within the confines of one’s comfort zone for an extended period is
ill-advised, especially in the face of disruptive innovations. The world has
little patience for those who cling to past glories and turn a blind eye to
emerging technologies. Historical examples, such as the decline of the Roman
Empire, serve as stark reminders of the perils of stagnation and resistance to
change. In a world that is in a constant state of flux, the choice to adapt or
face extinction rests squarely on the shoulders of individuals and
organizations. The significance of speed as a competitive edge cannot be
overstated. Just as the velocity of an aircraft enables it to soar through the
skies and the dynamic force of a fast-moving car propels it forward, adapting
to the rapid pace of change is imperative for survival in the business realm.
Embracing change willingly is not merely a suggestion; it is a strategic
imperative. In a world characterized by constant evolution, the notion of
being “too big to fail” is a myth. The decision to adapt is not dictated by
external forces; it is entirely within the control of individuals and
organizations.
“All About the Basics”: Cyber Hygiene in the Digital Age
In this world, the digital equivalent of leaving your front door unlocked and
the windows wide open is a reality. The result? Well, it’s not pretty.First,
there’s the risk of data breaches. These aren’t just inconveniences; they’re
full-blown catastrophes. When we’re lax with updates and passwords, we’re
essentially rolling out the red carpet for cybercriminals. They waltz in,
pilfer sensitive data, and leave chaos in their wake. The fallout? Compromised
personal information, financial loss, and let’s not forget the ever-lasting
damage to our reputation. It’s the kind of nightmare that keeps grumpy CISOs
up at night. Then there are the phishing attacks. Without proper awareness and
training, our well-meaning but sometimes naïve users might unwittingly invite
trouble right into our digital living room. It starts with an innocent click
on what seems like a legitimate email. And before you know it, malware has
spread through your systems like wildfire. The result? System downtimes,
productivity loss, and a frantic race against time to contain the breach. And
let’s not even get started on unsecured devices; it’s like leaving your secret
plans in a cafe, waiting for the first curious bystander to pick them
up.
Navigating the New Era with Generative AI Literacy
As technology has evolved, that focus on data literacy has quickly
transitioned into a focus on generative AI literacy -- a new breed of data
literacy built on the core tenet of data literacy: data collection and
curation, data visualization, and interpretation. With the advent of
generative AI tools from industry leaders such as OpenAI, Google, Microsoft,
and Anthropic, companies need their employees to know how to leverage these
tools to create business value. Ultimately, data literacy and generative AI
literacy have the same goals -- to drive effective business decision-making
and to create organizational value. ... Generative AI’s power is due in part
to its ability to accept such a wide array of inputs and prompts, but this
also requires that employees learn to expand their thinking. As repetitive
tasks are automated away, employees will be free to think more innovatively,
which is not always intuitive for them. Educational institutions have focused
on teaching students to learn facts for many years but are now being required
to teach students how to think in terms of problem sets, alternative
approaches, and innovative solution discovery.
Risk Management is Never Having to Say, ‘I Am sorry’
Enterprise architecture is largely an exercise in risk management. Unless architecture organizations are willing to take on risk, they are unlikely to be perceived as influential partners in solving problems. Rory established his team as a solver of gnarly problems, not complaining bystanders, by accepting accountability to deliver the mobile commerce platform. One of the biggest categories of risk that architecture leaders must manage is relational risk, i.e. navigating the executive sociology. It wasn’t easy, but between Rory and Loretta the architecture department was able to achieve a key accomplishment, increasing the value of the company’s search and mobile toolkit assets, by establishing empathy with powerful business partners and creating a win / win solution to an urgent business problem. Architects can use what I call “organizational jujitsu” to gain support from agile teams by positioning high quality architecture assets as accelerators of agility. That is, if the architecture department can make the use of existing assets and contracts the fastest route to working tested product frequently delivered to customers, it can leverage the
Quote for the day:
"Your greatest area of leadership often comes out of your greatest area of
pain and weakness." -- Wayde Goodall
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