Security challenges in the IT services sector
Information
technology i
13 September 2005
B. Ashok*, senior vice president — IT Services, Cisco Systems India outlines the key security challenges faced by organisations today and explores how network security can help overcome them.
Information technology is an engine for economic growth and the Indian IT industry's role in the emergence of India as a rising economic power stands testimony to this fact. IDC estimates that the Indian IT industry is all set to grow to $55 billion by the end of 2008, fuelled by the rise in technology and business process outsourcing. While there are several enabling factors, certain issues like information security could debilitate this growth.
Networks are critical to business performance especially in the IT and BPO sector, with organisations depending on these networks for communication, transactions and data sharing. The overriding concern of CIOs today is to ensure their networks are constantly safeguarded against attacks. As a result, information security is increasingly playing a strategic role in today's business.
Organisations outsourcing to India look for service providers with strong security practices and robust, secure yet open networks. Ensuring remote accessibility in a world that's adopting wireless technology can only translate into one thing — network security today has to address the ever-expanding definition of the network and all related security requirements.
Enterprises face daunting challenges when it comes to security. Worms and viruses, spam, internal theft, hacking and employees with malicious intent are just some of the security challenges organisations face today. In addition, IT and BPO service providers have to address the following issues:
Compliance to regulations
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Graham-Leach-Bliley Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule (HIPAA), Data Protection Act and other sweeping regulatory changes pose unique challenges to the way data is handled by IT and BPO service providers.
