Why cybersecurity can boost organizational innovation

In many organizations, the cybersecurity department has an unfortunate reputation as the inhibitor to innovation, rather than an enabler—likely a carryover from the days when the threat landscape was more limited and less sophisticated than it is now. Cautious security admins would nevertheless incorporate steps into the product development process to ensure new offerings or features wouldn’t introduce security risk. The cautious approach—while critical for protecting the business—was often seen as delaying strategic initiatives. However, we’re long past the days when product teams can ignore security controls until late stages of development, whilst hoping for the security team to complete a quick evaluation and rubber stamp a new offering as inherently safe. The threat landscape is vast, it’s complicated, and it’s constantly evolving. This means security-enabled innovation is a must for any company working hard to stay ahead and competitive in its market. But what does the data say?

Security and innovation

The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) recently conducted a study to examine the intersection of security and innovation. The purpose of the research was to untangle the intricate relationship between the two, shedding light on how security is perceived within the organizational framework, its role in driving innovation, outcomes of security-enabled innovation, and other cloud use trends. The survey captured the perspectives of 1,000+ IT and security professionals from a diverse range of organizations, offering a wealth of insights into the prevailing attitudes and trends shaping these dynamic fields.