Copenhagen, Denmark – February 17, 2022 We are experiencing a paradigm shift in the use of IT, and according to Eri Kejser, Principal Consultant, Security and Identity at CTGlobal, it places stricter and very different demands on IT security than we saw just a few years ago. Culture and employees today play a pretty significant role in avoiding the consequences of the more and more cunning hackers. Therefore, Eri has also chosen to take this topic as a starting point in her post at the OffDig conference on 23 March in Aarhus.
“When the pandemic came, we were completely unprepared for the fact that the workplaces moved in a big way from the offices to people’s private homes. Of course we knew about homework, but now the scope exploded and a long list of questions arose: May I log in from the spouse’s or children’s iPad, what data may I store, and what if there is a burglary in my house and my company PC gets stolen?”, says Eri Kejser.
“We must admit that we did not have as much control over the domestic workplace as was actually needed. So the pandemic has been an eye-opener, even though the development with far more remote work was already underway in the form of the transition to the cloud and the ability to access the systems everywhere and from many different devices.”
Everyone has a co-responsibility for safety
Before joining CTGlobal as a consultant, Eri had worked with IT security in an international organization and the Danish Defense. In both places, she built up extensive knowledge and experience in raising IT security across borders and many locations and to the highest level when it comes to a country’s security. That knowledge and experience is now made available to CTGlobal’s customers.
“I see a great need to involve the employees and create a culture where everyone knows and acts after they have a shared responsibility for IT security,” says Eri Kejser.
“A bit like when you take a driver’s license. In Denmark, it is mandatory to take a first aid course to obtain a driving license. This does not mean that you have to be able to take care of the seriously injured in a traffic accident. But that you get a knowledge of the most basic and can help.”
“This is how it should be when we talk about IT security. Users must have a basic knowledge and training in what they should be aware of, and that they should not, for example, just download the email stating that they have won 12 bottles of champagne when they have not participated in any competition at all,” says Eri Kejser.
“Start small, think big, react quickly”
But how has Eri Kejser herself approached it, and what is her advice to CTGlobal’s customers? How could they approach it?
At the OffDig conference, you get Eri’s and CTGlobal’s suggestions on how to build competencies, vigilance and culture in the organization and thus ensure that everyone knows what role and what responsibility they have when it comes to IT security.
Eri draws on good experiences from 10 years of work with IT security, and here you get a taste of her approach to the task:
“Start small, think big, react quickly,” says Eri about her basic philosophy.
“Companies and organizations need a real IT security program, because you have to take everything with you – data security, device security, access control and more. It would be nice if you could overcome it all at once. But my experience is that you have to take it area by area – also to ensure that IT security will not strain the operation in any way,” says Eri Kejser.
Break down the “silos” – IT security is transverse
“One must also pay attention to breaking down the “silos”. IT security goes across all disciplines – infrastructure, networking, helpdesk, app development and more – and it all flows together in the cloud. On the whole, the transition to the cloud is creating some completely new roles in the administration of IT, caused by a new division of responsibilities. In Azure, of course, some of the responsibility is Microsoft’s. But you yourself have a large number of security tasks.”
When it comes to the culture and the whole effort to increase security, the users’ relationship with the IT professionals also plays a role:
“Many may not have had much to do with “IT” – except that they have been told to restart a few times. In the fight against all the dangers that lurk, it is worthwhile to build a culture where you talk to each other, and users are rewarded for shouting out loud if something looks different or suspicious,” says Eri Kejser.
“IT security is a shared responsibility.”
You can hear Eri Kejser’s speech at the OffDig Conference in Musikhuset Aarhus on Wednesday 23 March at 14.40 to 15.00 in the Green Room. Read more about the conference and register here https://offdig.dit.dk/
About CTGlobal
CTGlobal is an IT consultancy and development company focused on cloud, data center, security and enterprise client management. The corporate HQ is based in Denmark with offices in Nordics, Baltics and North America. The company was founded in 1999.
CTGlobal is Microsoft Gold Partner in Application Integration; Windows and Devices; Cloud Platform; Cloud Productivity; Datacenter; and Security, and our experts speak and teach at leading international seminars and conferences.
CTGlobal has also achieved the status of Microsoft Azure Advanced Specialized Partner for Windows Server and SQL Migration to Azure and for Azure Virtual Desktop.
CTGlobal helps enterprises maximize return on their investments in Microsoft Systems Management and cloud platform solutions, by visualizing threats to compliance, security and performance in their IT infrastructure, and prioritize tasks and resources accordingly. CTGlobal is renowned for expert solutions and recognized as leaders in the field of management technology and infrastructure visualization.
