Four Approaches to Defend Security amid Budget Tightening

The biggest threat to a company's security might not be hackers and thieves, but its own budgetary process. nCircle Vice President Elizabeth Ireland explains how to address that tough hurdle.

Many predict that 2008 will produce the tightest economic conditions since the dot-com bust at the beginning of the decade. The subprime meltdown and tightening credit markets mean most CIOs will feel the downward spiral of the economy right where it hurts—in their budgets.

Unfortunately, this also coincides with the most serious threat environment security professionals have yet faced. Hackers' tactics are becoming more targeted. Web applications are increasing in number and business importance, generating additional enterprise risk. Budgets may get tight, but the CIO's responsibility remains the same: focusing on how best to minimize risk.

Tighter budgets don't equal less attention for security. In fact, at times like these, that may be the biggest mistake. The highest levels of an organization are asking their CIOs, "How do we know we're secure?" The only way to know is by understanding the risks, the return on investment and how security not only fits into your other IT priorities but also adds to the company's bottom line.