What role does innovation play in the cybersecurity industry?, critique analysis assignment help

First Critique:

What role does innovation play in the cybersecurity industry?

Our society has entered an age in which a majority of our operations rely on the internet and information technology. In addition, as a result of President Obama’s 2012 Digital Government initiative the U.S. government has increased information technology usage in order to increase government productivity, collaboration, and the way in which government entities interact with the populace. As a result, our computers and computer networks are at risk of malicious cyber-attacks from nefarious actors around the hoping for financial gain, theft of intellectual property, and other politically motivated reasons. In order to stem the constant threats “advances in cybersecurity are urgently needed to preserve the Internet’s growing social and economic benefits by thwarting adversaries and strengthening public trust of cyber systems (The art of managing innovation risk)”. Despite increasing awareness of these threats a majority of organizations still do not take advantage of available technology and processes to secure information technology, nor are protective measures evolving as quickly as the threats. This general research and development has put organizations at great risk. Thus, addressing security issues requires a partnership that begins with constant and increased innovation.

1. Who are the major developers of cybersecurity related inventions?

As highlighted by Intel Security, “Cybersecurity threats are a growing concern for all types of organizations, and that makes it more important than ever to recognize those who have made keeping critical systems secure a top priority,” (Cyber-Security Leaders). Some highlighted innovators from the last year include Intuit, Verizon, Israel, and the U.S. Government. No one organization is the leader in all areas of cybersecurity, however companies such as Verizon, Booz Allen Hamilton, Fire Eye, Lockheed Martin have and continue to invest billions of dollars and commit large amount of resources for the advancement of cyber security (National Cybersecurity Innovation Awards).

1. How can technology innovations impact risk and risk management in the cybersecurity and/or cyber defense domains?

Technology innovation can be can be a driver of success as long as risk management dictates a cautious approach to innovation. “For most companies, the big, breakthrough innovations that deliver new benefits to customers and thus create new markets” (The art of managing innovation risk). However, each new innovation could open organizations to a plethora of new risks as such risk management and innovation must as much as possible work in unison. As highlighted by Accenture, “A corporate culture that only celebrates success can discourage innovation by making people nervous about taking risks—yet no rational organization would reward failure”.

H. (2015, March 27). Cyber-Security Leaders. Retrieved January 08, 2017, from https://www.moneyandmarkets.com/cyber-security-leaders-70527

National Cybersecurity Innovation Awards. (n.d.). Retrieved January 08, 2017, from https://www.sans.org/cyber-innovation-awards/year/2015

The art of managing innovation risk. (n.d.). Retrieved January 08, 2017, from https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-outlook-ar…

Second critique:

How can technology innovations impact risk and risk management in the cybersecurity and/or cyber defense domains?

All business investments require trade-offs between risk and reward. Tough questions must be answered by weighing up the business imperatives against a calculation of the risk and the greater the risk, the harder it is to make the case for investment.

Technology investments are no different. They, too, have always been a trade-off between risk and return. However, for enterprise technology, increased global connectivity is raising the stakes on both side of the equation. The commercial rewards from tapping into this connectivity are enormous, but the more tightly we are connected, the more vulnerabilities exist that attackers can exploit and the more damage they can do once inside. Therefore, when a manufacturer invests in a new product life-cycle management system, it is making a bet that the system will not enable the theft of valuable intellectual property. When a retailer invests in mobile commerce, it is betting that cyber-fraud won’t critically damage profitability. When a bank invests in customer analytics, it is betting that the sensitive data it analyzes won’t be stolen by cyber-criminals. The odds on all those bets appear to be shifting away from the institutions and toward cyber-attackers. They could swing decisively their way in the near future given most companies’ siloed and reactive approach to cybersecurity.

Chief information officers (CIOs), chief technology officers (CTOs), and chief information security officers (CISOs) indicate that concerns about cyber-attacks are already affecting large institutions’ interest in and ability to create value from technology investment and innovation. Potential losses, both direct and indirect, reduce the expected economic benefits of technology investments, as do the high cost and lengthy time frame required to build the defense mechanisms that can protect the organization against a growing range of attackers. In short, the models companies use to protect themselves from cyber-attack are limiting their ability to extract additional value from technology.

Reference: Beyond cybersecurity: protecting your digital business James Kaplan-Tucker Bailey-Chris Rezek-Derek O’Halloran-Alan Marcus, Time Books – 2012

GAO. (2010). U.S. GAO – Cybersecurity: Key Challenges Need to Be Addressed to Improve Research and Development. Retrieved fromhttp://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-466