# What role does cyber security play in digital transformation?
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2021-11-03
Category: BUSINESS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business
Meta Title: The Importance of Cyber Security in Digital Transformation
Meta Description: Learn how to embrace modern technology to improve agility, scalability, and efficiency in your business operations, while prioritising cybersecurity from the
URL: https://financedigest.com/what-role-does-cyber-security-play-in-digital-transformationhtml

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_By_ **_Richard Menear,_** _CEO,_ [_Burning Tree_](http://www.burningtree.co.uk/)

The capabilities of modern technology have continued to progress, with widespread digitisation sweeping through almost every aspect of our lives. Digital transformation takes digitisation one step further, integrating technology into each business area — including improving operations, refining the customer experience and fostering a more cyber-aware workforce.

And although digitisation was underway before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, many organisations — from universities to food delivery companies — were forced to ramp up this process and embark on total digital transformation in response to new remote working requirements and changing consumer behaviour. So much so that the adoption of technology sped up by three to seven years in the space of mere months as organisations raced to implement the latest software.

But in the modern world, simply adopting new technology or software into your [business is not enough to keep](https://www.financedigest.com/the-valuable-role-ecommerce-social-media-marketing-will-play-in-keeping-businesses-afloat-during-lockdown.html "The valuable role Ecommerce/Social Media marketing will play in keeping businesses afloat during lockdown") pace with competitors. For a fully integrated digital transformation to succeed, IT professionals and business leaders must ensure [security is built in at every stage — or risk falling foul of increasingly sophisticated cyber](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-handle-cyber-security-during-mergers-and-acquisitions.html "How to Handle Cyber Security during Mergers and Acquisitions") attacks.

**What does [digital transformation](https://www.financedigest.com/5-key-takeaways-from-the-finance-sectors-digital-transformation-revolution.html "5 Key Takeaways From the Finance Sector’s Digital Transformation Revolution") entail?**

When a [business undergoes digital transformation](https://www.financedigest.com/3-reasons-why-businesses-get-stuck-at-the-starting-gate-of-digital-transformation.html "3 Reasons Why Businesses Get Stuck At The Starting Gate Of Digital Transformation"), its IT becomes the central hub for all its operations. [Digital transformation](https://www.financedigest.com/redefining-the-human-touch-with-data-driven-digital-transformation.html "Redefining the human touch with data-driven digital transformation") will look different for every business (and even vary between teams within the same company) but generally involves a complete rethinking of how organisations operate using technology.

Digital transformation might mean investing in IT departments, building a new mobile application or [e-commerce site](https://www.financedigest.com/5-reasons-why-e-commerce-sites-need-a-token-gateway.html "5 reasons why e-commerce sites need a token gateway"), or implementing DevOps or Agile programs to improve system functionality. Whatever the case may be, the point of [digital transformation is to embrace the improved agility](https://www.financedigest.com/world-class-finance-digital-transformation-and-analytics-based-decision-making-among-key-imperatives-for-creating-finance-agility.html "World-Class Finance: Digital Transformation and Analytics-Based Decision Making Among Key Imperatives for Creating Finance Agility"), scalability and flexibility that modern technology has to offer to automate critical processes and make a business more efficient as a whole.

Without adopting technologies such as the Cloud or the Internet of Things (IoT), many businesses of all sizes and sectors will struggle to keep up with the [demand for digital](https://www.financedigest.com/veraviews-welcomes-hoopla-digital-as-a-demand-partner.html "VeraViews Welcomes Hoopla Digital as a Demand Partner"), as physical legacy systems become outdated and unable to support growth. In fact, what was once considered best-in-class adoption speed, even just a few years ago, is now slower than the average for most businesses.

An effective [digital transformation](https://www.financedigest.com/how-digital-is-transforming-finance-in-2023.html "How Digital Is Transforming Finance in 2023") will allow a business’ IT to contribute to offerings and generate revenue — not just prop up existing functions. Plus, by streamlining [processes and building](https://www.financedigest.com/li-cycle-to-build-french-battery-processing-facility.html "Li-Cycle to build French battery processing facility") the infrastructure necessary to do so, technology can improve communication, customer service and, most importantly, security. But only if security is built in from the outset…

**When can [digital transformation](https://www.financedigest.com/making-sure-that-finservs-digital-transformation-doesnt-mean-digital-exclusion.html "Making sure that FinServ’s digital transformation doesn’t mean digital exclusion") threaten security?**

In a rush to get the newest technology and software online, many businesses make [cyber security](https://www.financedigest.com/the-future-of-cyber-security.html "THE FUTURE OF CYBER SECURITY") an afterthought — leaving them and their customers vulnerable to attack.

In the past year, there have been a staggering number of [cyber attacks](https://www.financedigest.com/banks-can-provide-a-protective-shield-to-defend-customers-from-cyber-attack.html "Banks can provide a protective shield to defend customers from cyber attack") in the UK alone. Microsoft’s Exchange servers were famously corrupted in 2021, claiming at least [60,000 known victims around the world](https://fortune.com/2021/03/08/global-security-crisis-sme-microsoft-email-hack-attack-china/) before the breach was detected. Even [schools have fallen victim to hackers](https://www.financedigest.com/santander-scam-avoidance-school-sas1-graduate-turns-ethical-hacker-to-help-the-fight-against-fraud.html "Santander Scam Avoidance School (Sas)1 Graduate Turns Ethical Hacker To Help The Fight Against Fraud"), such as six schools in the Isle of Wight recently compromised by a ransomware attack.

And it is not just the large [corporations at risk; small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are regularly subjected to hacking attempts](https://www.financedigest.com/four-corporate-email-oversights-that-put-your-organization-at-risk.html "Four Corporate Email Oversights That Put Your Organization at Risk"). [Around 65,000 attacks are carried out every day in the UK — approximately 4,500 of which are successful.](https://www.csoonline.com/article/3440069/uk-cybersecurity-statistics-you-need-to-know.html)

So, as IT infrastructures grow in size and companies lean on cloud-native technology for daily functions, new systems must have the capability to identify and mitigate security risks at an [early stage](https://www.financedigest.com/valuing-your-early-stage-startup.html "Valuing your Early Stage Startup") of software lifecycles. Otherwise, application vulnerabilities could introduce an unacceptable amount of [risk and prevent a system from keeping pace with changing](https://www.financedigest.com/financial-risks-of-climate-change-overplayed-senior-hsbc-banker-says.html "Financial risks of climate change overplayed, senior HSBC banker says") threats and developments, negating the purpose of implementing new technologies in the first place.

Therefore, effective digital transformation must involve a complete overhaul of how [businesses think about security — from educating](https://www.financedigest.com/the-education-of-business-education.html "‘The Education of Business Education’") a more cyber-aware workforce to securing the appropriate budgets for IT departments and cyber security software.


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