Last Tuesday our Marketing team attended SJUK (Security Journal UK) Leaders in Security Conference in Manchester. The invitation only event offered an incredible opportunity to listen and engage in a range of insightful topical discussions across the Security industry with an abundance of business leaders and professionals in attendance. In this blog article we will highlight the teams key takeaways from the day and expand on a variety of industry insights.
Pictured on the right is our Marketing Lead Elliott Garner holding Avena’s article in the latest SJUK Journal.
Minimising Your Potential Touch Points.
In today’s evolving security landscape, it’s essential to continually assess and compare security solutions, prioritising those that cover as many potential vulnerabilities as possible. Touch points are usually defined as a customer interaction with a business, whether person-to-person, through a website, an app, or any form of communication. Whilst business often focus their efforts on marketing and customer experience across these touch points, its also becoming increasingly important to focus time and energy on ensuring the security and safety of these touch points. Whether it is online, in-person, or even on-site, criminals often exploit multiple touch points in security systems and personnel, targeting documents, uniforms, and IT hardware as primary entry points into businesses and organisations.
Arguably the most exposed touch point within an organisations is their employees. Individuals within an organisation are often unknowingly manipulated by criminals, through being tricked into revealing sensitive or financial information. Not only this but employees are often deceived by criminals through the use of outdated branded uniforms purchased online or stolen from company waste. This allows criminals to impersonate trusted colleagues and achieve significant levels of access to company premises, authority, and resources. Following on from the theme of improper disposal, one of the largest dangers facing organisations in terms of potential data breaches is personal and sensitive information accessed through IT hardware and documents, which can then be sold, used to access accounts, or even for blackmail. The question a lot of organisations are then left asking is how can we ensure the security of these touch points in order to remove the potential of documents, textiles, and IT hardware falling into criminals hands. One answer is Avena’s secure sustainable solutions!
The Advancement of AI: Is it the Answer?
Throughout the duration of the conference AI was at the forefront of a lot of presentations and discussions, with one specifically presenting and highlighting ChatGTP and AIs ability to assess images, video and identify risks and potential security concerns. However, while AI is advancing rapidly, it cannot entirely replace human oversight in security due to several limitations. The suggestion was instead that it should act as a guide rather than a decision-maker, as although AI can identify various risks and security concerns, it cannot detect physical breaches or impersonation attempts.
AI systems can identify a plethora of security and safety risks, but are limited in detecting breaches involving physical items like fake uniforms, which means AI cannot identify someone impersonating an employee. Therefore, it would be unwise for any organisation to rely solely on AI for security as it cannot perceive certain threats that humans can identify. Instead, AI should assist security staff in identifying solutions to security issues rather than making any final decisions. This matter was further highlighted by a panelist who discussed AI’s potential to replace humans. The summary of the discussion was that a person who is knowledgeable of AI systems, and is proficient in utilising them, will always be more efficient and productive than AI alone. Which offers further validation to the previous takeaway that AI should be used only to assist.
Building the Relationship between Security and UX
A security solution is only as good as its implementation and engagement allows it to be. Its all well and good having a variety of secure destruction consoles, but if employees still don’t use them, and leave documents, textiles, and IT hardware in un-secure locations, then its all for nothing. Several panels commented on the relationship between security solutions and user experience, with the key takeaway being that when implementing a new security system or process, it is crucial to involve all stakeholders in the decision-making process. Employee engagement is vital as without it the solution is likely to fail before it even begins. Therefore, the question becomes how do we have security championed by employees, one panelist suggested that companies must overcome four primary barriers: inertia, effort, emotion, and reactance, and that by effectively communicating these factors to employees it maximises the rollout of your security measures.
One way of enabling this is ensuring the optimisation of your current security providers. Do they offer additional advice, marketing materials, and solutions that you are not currently aware of or utilising? At Avena, we educate our clients about all our services to provide comprehensive protection against breaches. We also supply marketing materials to engage and guide staff, significantly increasing the uptake of our services. Only after the security solution is utilised effectively can an organisation ensure a secure environment. Alongside this, it was highlighted that it’s of the upmost importance that security solutions integrate seamlessly with business operations, allowing them to be easily recognisable to staff, and go unnoticed by the general public. Avena’s solutions achieve this balance, enhancing productivity and providing employees and business alike peace of mind, especially for those handling sensitive data.
Maximising Your Security Solution.
Sustainable security solutions must be able to evolve with constant emerging threats in order to remain effective and ensure its difficult for criminals to operate. Further, organisations must ensure that any security measures implemented are adaptable and current, closing any potential gaps or touch points that criminals can exploit.
Maximising the return on investment was a topic of discussion throughout one of the panels, in which they suggested that in order to maximise the return on investment of your security solution its worth considering the potential costs of specific breaches to your organisation, as they significantly out weight that of a secure solution. Especially when considering that implementing secure end-of-life solutions for documents, uniforms, and IT can save time and reduce the risks associated with improper disposal.
Overall the key point was that the value a security solution provides an organisation should outweigh its cost. However, finding a solution that offers unparalleled value can be challenging, and distinguishing between sub-standard and high-quality security providers is crucial. Some companies may offer solutions similar to their competitors, but closer inspection often reveals significant gaps in their services, leaving vulnerabilities in your security. Avena’s solutions require minimal investment and provide immediate value to businesses and organisations.
By following these guidelines and leveraging comprehensive security solutions like those offered by Avena, businesses can create a robust, secure environment that mitigates risks and fosters a culture of safety and productivity.
Networking and Closing Remarks
The opportunity to connect with new and existing professionals across the industry was invaluable, and all the panellists shared valuable insights, providing the abundance of key takeaways discussed within this article.
It was an excellent event hosted by the most respected security publication in the UK, attended by the best of the best in the security sector!
A huge thank you to SJUK and the event organisers for the invitation to a fantastic event!
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