Our Thinking

A popular Chinese proverb states, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”  For many companies today, one of the most pivotal steps they can take is to define a strategy for their organization. This step sets the direction, the goals and charts the course to get there.

We often gain a helpful perspective in life when we pause to look back, evaluate and learn before we move forward. We can gain valuable lessons by considering the past - what worked well, what could be done better or what should not be done, and adjusting our forward plans accordingly. This thoughtful reflection of the past is what is called:

By 2022, 70% of customer interactions will involve emerging technologies such as machine learning applications, chat bots, and mobile messaging. (Gartner research; subscription required.) 

70% is a staggering number isn't it? Why is this the case? 

You have to transform. Competition is fierce. Business is changing. Customers expectations are increasing. Technology is advancing and making things we only dreamed about 5 years ago a reality.

Can you truly embrace digital transformation while maintaining the security posture of your organization?  You can. 

But you have to start with the right ingredients.

The Online Team and I had a great time at the PCI Community meeting last week, set in the spectacular environs of Vancouver BC. We ate and drank, pontificated, watched ferries and seaplanes come into the harbor (my inner 8-year old self couldn’t resist and I booked a flight out on one), and had a generally spectacular time networking with old and new friends in the payment security space.  While there were far too many interesting presentations and conversations to put into one place, I had a few takeaways that I felt were worth sharing. In no particular order:

Companies across the world are embracing digital transformation with a “transform or die” mentality. Industry analysts and thought leaders are telling companies of all sizes that they must transform, or risk being left behind by those that do. Hundreds of billions of dollars are being devoted to this digital evolution.

Online is proud to feature a chapter from Tribe of Hackers, written by Marcus J. Carey and Jennifer Jin. Our very own security expert Jeff Man shared many insights and stories in chapter 25 of this highly acclaimed book.

Jeffrey Man is a respected information security expert, advisor, evangelist, and co-host of the security podcast Security Weekly. He has more than 35 years of experience in all aspects of computer, network, and information security. Jeffrey has held various information security roles within the DoD as well as private sector enterprises, is a former PCI QSA, and was part of the first penetration testing red team at the NSA.

You’ve. Been. Hacked.

Three words that no business owner wants to read while opening their daily email, yet it happens more and more every year.

Every day, people make choices about the things they value.

Recycling versus sending it to a landfill.

Riding the bus versus driving to work.

Bringing your own bag to the grocery store versus using plastics.

These choices collectively define who we are, how the world sees us, but more importantly; how we see ourselves.

At Online Business Systems we have our feet in two different worlds – Digital Transformation and Cybersecurity. As you can guess, we get a lot of questions about how to plan for and incorporate a security strategy when designing and executing a digital transformation project (e.g. process automation, transforming to a paperless organization, incorporating AI, or a cloud migration.) I have read quite a few articles and blogs written on this topic recently and had a few thoughts of my own based on my experiences being on the front lines where we’ve seen security done well (and also, unfortunately, not so well.)