Security At The Roots: What Worries U.S. Consumers

Unisys: Businesses Must Make Security A Higher Priority

Too many organizations bury the position responsible for security too deeply in the organizational structure, Unisys said. That's why the board of directors needs to pay attention and drive the security agenda.

"If you are serious about security, you’ve got to take it out of middle management and make it a board issue," says Christopher Blask, global director, Industrial Control Systems, at Unisys. "The profitability and survival of your company can depend on it."

Mike Thorp, director of enterprise technology sales at August Schell, a solutions provider based in Rockville, Md., says businesses have to walk a fine line of balancing security with the need to provide consumers with the latest in technology tools, such as mobile apps. While the corporate IT organization may not see that as a "pain point," it and the rest of the business know the importance of having up-to-date technology.

"If my bank didn’t allow me to have that [mobile] app," he told CRN, "I'd leave that bank and go to another one."