|
WHEN THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY first introduced the seat-belt in 1949, the measure was seen by some as a cumbersome addition to the simple and liberating pleasure of driving a motor vehicle. And when the air-bag took in-car safety to a new level in the 1980s, it too was not widely-deployed at first: this form of security was a “nice-to-have” an extra that would cost you if you chose to install it.
|
Times, of course, have changed. Buckling up is now the first thing that you do when you get into a car – and you would not even consider buying a vehicle that didn’t include a variety of air-bags as standard.
We are seeing history repeating itself in the world of information security today. As consumers seek to pick up speed and conduct ever more frequent and more sensitive transactions over the Internet, security measures are no longer seen as time-consuming or unnecessary. Indeed, customers are increasingly demanding premium, enterprise-class security from their service providers.
It’s a hostile world out there, after all: identity theft, phishing and malware are prominent examples of the growing threats that we face. The corporate world has long accepted that online business and communication-exchange must be robustly protected. However, new evidence suggests that online criminals are increasingly targeting smaller business concerns and private individuals as they seek illicit economic gain, because they are perceived to be less well-protected.
Passwords are at the root of the problem. Static and easy to hack, they are woefully inadequate for protecting sensitive information online and cannot be relied upon to prove a user’s identity. And yet, it is most common for people to leave their strongly authenticated office environments at the end of each day and log on to their bank accounts from home protected by nothing more than a password.
Industry has rightly applauded America Online for addressing this unworkable “two-speed” paradox with its ground-breaking initiative in consumer identity protection. In partnership with RSA Security, it has empowered its users against cybersecurity threats by making business-strength security available to them, and you can read more about this on page 8 of this edition of Vantage Magazine.
I strongly encourage other organizations to step up to the plate and help restore the confidence that will enable the Internet to take its next steps forward. And to answer those who still see the addition of another layer of security as a cumbersome inhibitor, consider this: The brakes on your car slow you down when called upon, but the confidence and protection that they give you is actually what allows you to go as fast as you like. Let us give consumers the assurance they need to accelerate down the information superhighway.
Sincerely,
Art Coviello Jr.
President and CEO, RSA Security
|
