New physical and digital threats seem to appear constantly. While most businesses respond by adopting the latest tools and technologies, not all of them are prepared for what the process entails. How can you know if you’re ready to integrate new security measures?
What Does Security Measure Integration Involve?
Security measure integration involves combining all your technologies, tools and procedures into a single system to strengthen your defenses against physical and digital threats. It aims to simplify management and speed up your incident response.
New security measure integration is similar. The main distinction between the two is this one revolves around integrating the latest technologies and best practices. Its goal slightly differs, too — it prioritizes defending against emerging threats and increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
Why Should You Integrate New Security Measures?
You should consider integrating new security measures into your existing infrastructure because responding to and recovering from threats is becoming more costly. In 2023, a single data breach cost over $9.48 million on average. Strengthening your defenses protects you financially.
Although legacy systems can adequately safeguard your systems and data, they often have significant security gaps. Integrating the latest technology into your existing framework can fill those openings.
Adopting new defences is a good idea if you struggle with an unnecessarily expansive security infrastructure. Considering brands have 2,000 data silos on average, you probably have redundancies you can eliminate. Once you do, you streamline incident response and threat detection.
“Robust data security can raise your business’s reputation because it protects you from the bad press data breaches often generate.”
The Benefits of New Security Measure Integration
Integrating new security measures can benefit your company in numerous ways.
Improves Your Reputation
Integrating new security measures into your existing framework can mitigate public backlash. Robust data security can raise your reputation by protecting you from the bad press data breaches often generate. It can also help you remain compliant with the latest privacy regulations, further shielding you from potential bad publicity.
Enhances Defense Effectiveness
Sometimes, only the latest technologies and best practices can defend against modern threats. Integrating new security measures will enhance your defenses’ effectiveness, giving you a better chance of protecting your enterprise from cybercriminals and disgruntled employees.
Consider artificial intelligence, for example. Cybercriminals can use it to craft convincing phishing messages or malicious code in minutes. While you don’t necessarily need an algorithm of your own to defend against them, it makes the process much easier.
“[T]he majority of businesses use at least five separate data platforms.”
Simplifies Security Management
Too many workplaces overcomplicate security. If you — like the majority of businesses — use at least five separate data platforms, you probably spend too much time on administrative tasks. Integrating your tools into one system simplifies management and can speed up most managerial processes.
Is Cost-Effective
Legacy systems are often more expensive to use and maintain than their modern counterparts because they require more frequent updates and often experience incompatibility issues. You can likely secure long-term cost savings by phasing out your older technology in favour of the latest tools.
Eliminates Threats
Integrating new security measures into your current infrastructure lets you take advantage of the latest safeguards. It also aggregates your data, which can protect it from deletion, breaches and corruption.
Considering human error is responsible for 95% of cybersecurity incidents, leveraging integration to aggregate your data is wise. This way, you can prevent — or at least track — most physical and digital tampering instances because you only have to monitor one location.
How Do You Know If Your Business Is Ready?
“Although pouring over the technical details can be complicated, it’s essential — a single bug or misconfiguration in your code could open you up to new threats.”
Determining whether you’re ready to integrate new security measures is a multi-step process.
Identify Goals and Gaps
The first thing you should do is identify your security goals and gaps. What integration would benefit you most and what threats present the most significant risk? You can move forward once you understand what technologies, tools and practices you must adopt.
Review Your Infrastructure
You should review your current security infrastructure to identify how to leverage new defenses. Although pouring over the technical details can be complicated, it’s essential — a single bug or misconfiguration in your code could open you up to new threats. Take care to prioritize preventative measures as you incrementally integrate new technology.
Considerations for New Security Measure Integration
Security misconfigurations are one of the biggest challenges brands face when adopting new technologies. Improper setup, overlooked settings and error-filled code can quickly turn your new all-in-one defense system into a massive vulnerability.
You should also pay attention to employees’ receptiveness when introducing new tools to the workplace. Instead of letting them learn independently after completing the integration, prepare training and awareness guides for them. They’ll learn much faster when they have support.
If you strategize, you increase your chances of success and streamline the process. The more seamless it goes, the sooner you’ll be better protected against increasingly sophisticated emerging threats. Remember to coordinate accordingly with every relevant department to ensure you don’t overlook any critical aspect of integration.
Prepare Your Business for New Security Measure Integration
Integrating the latest security measures will likely require an organization-wide effort. You should consider how to compensate for coordination gaps between departments and staff’s potential lack of expertise before adopting any new tools or practices.
