Navigating the Digital Age in Australia

Technology has transformed our world and will continue to do so. The opportunity brought about by this shift has been immense; but as we move more of our lives, business operations, and critical infrastructure into the digital arena, cyberattacks become more aggressive, successful and damaging.

Secure and trusted networks are fundamental to protecting our way of life in this digital age and protecting our national security. While protecting this privilege may seem obvious to some, in many parts of the world today, there are still organisations that neither know about nor understand cyber risk. Many companies—particularly those in Australia—have a laissez-faire attitude when it comes to cybersecurity. In order for companies to thrive in today's global economy, they need to deliver their services, along with security; however, this can only happen once leaders see cybersecurity and risk management as an extension of their business operations and growth. Cybersecurity can be a true business enabler, not “just” a cost centre. 

A lack of executive-level knowledge, leadership and understanding of cybersecurity risk and governance is further complicating many organisations’ abilities to effectively address sophisticated threats. No leader wants his or her organisation to be splashed on the front page of a newspaper due to a cybersecurity breach, hurting the organisation’s reputation and profitability, and undermining its business model.

In order to not undermine consumer trust, it's imperative that executive leadership believe that prevention is, in fact, possible and take the right steps towards implementing organisational strategy that builds cybersecurity considerations into the business-planning process.

It’s clear that all members across the organisation, not only IT, need to be empowered to have the conversation around cyber risk, and this must become a routine subject in Australian boardroom discussions. For this reason, Palo Alto Networks, in conjunction with Australian thought leaders from the public and private sector, have come together to write, Navigating the Digital Age: The Definitive Cybersecurity Guide for Directors and Officers (Australian Edition). This guide is intended as both a how-to guide and an anthology. It includes advice and cybersecurity best practices from CEOs, CISOs, lawyers, consultants and former government officials, all of whom are recognised in Australia thought leaders.

While the launch of this guide marks the beginning of the dialogue, it by no means can end there. The conversation must be a continuous and interactive one that all business-minded leaders, regardless of industry or background, can have the proper tools and guidance they need to effectively navigate cyber risk in the digital age. For this reason, SecurityRoundtable.org was created, setting the stage for real-time, peer-to-peer, executive exchange around cyber risk best practices.

This guide, together with SecurityRoundtable.org, comes as the starting point in the revolution for every organisation to step up and change the narrative around cybersecurity.

I encourage you all to read this important guide and share it amongst your peers to empower other leaders across the globe and arm them with the knowledge needed to safely navigate today's digital age.