My relationship with security has evolved over the years but the core foundation remains the same -if you react to a threat, then you're already too late.  Whether it applies to protecting our country as a decorated United States Army combat veteran or securing rapidly evolving digital experiences, the leading principle is the same; a proactive stance to identify and mitigate security risks helps enterprises avoid costly consequences while protecting revenue and fostering exceptional customer experiences in today's hybrid world.

Notice that I say hybrid world, not work.  In truth, everything we do today is digital -from banking and consumerism to healthcare, learning and work. And every aspect needs to be secured or a shockwave of crippling affects could be suffered. In 2021, the average time to identify and contain a cybersecurity breach was 287 days and cost organizations over$24,000 per minute for a data breach lasting more than 200 days¹. If Gartner's prediction holds true, with 80 percent of B2B sales interactions being digital by 2025², these breach numbers will continue to skyrocket without a proactive cybersecurity posture.

In fact, a recent study showed that those who outperformed their peers by as much as$700 million annually made cybersecurity the foundation of their growth strategy³.  With the perimeter continuing to dissolve daily and bad actors becoming more sophisticated, the road to achieving proactive security may be a winding one, but there are steps one can take now in securing digital experiences today and in the future.

• Get in on the ground floor.Security strategy, design and architecture needs to be part of the foundational development strategy -not bolted on at the end -through best practice architecture blueprints and capacity planning models to enable scale for growth.
• It's not a one and done.As risks evolve, so should your security posture. Regular assessments and penetration testing of network devices and security compliance policies help analyze risks and minimize gaps for fewer vulnerabilities -from core to edge.
• AI + Human.Intelligence-based automated workflows enhance visibility and provide proactive threat detection and remediation throughout the IT lifecycle -helping teams identify patterns outside the norm for more rapid breach detection.

Repsol, one of the world's largest multi-energy providers, has an aggressive goal of net zero-emissions by 2050.
See how a proactive cybersecurity posture is empowering this transformation.

Go from reactive to proactive by up-leveling your cybersecurity skills.

The most valuable tool in your arsenal against cybersecurity threats is your security expertise.  Cisco Business Critical Services expert guidance leverages data-driven analytics and Cisco proprietary IP from the industry leader in networking and security to help you stay steps ahead in the fight against cyber warfare.

Business Critical Services provides foundational security expertise, on-going assessments to maintain compliance while mitigating risk, and leverages AI-powered insights and automation to build a proactive cybersecurity posture. Shorten your time to detect and remediate with the leading experts in security to reduce costly downtime and data breaches while ensuring exceptional digital experiences.

¹SecureWorld, 2021
²Gartner, 2020
³IBM, 2021