I was in high school when I first learned about the Lovebug virus and its global outbreak. Even the Pentagon and the UK Parliament were greatly impacted. As early as the 2000s, cyber security threats were rampant and IT security was compromised.
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When I worked in the Supply Chain field, my team constantly communicates with suppliers from abroad using verified company emails as we purchase materials and make financial transactions. Our emails were constantly exposed not just to our regular suppliers, but also to other possible suppliers. Randomly, we would receive phishing emails with attachments asking for our quotations or to book shipments from those countries, although we haven't communicated with any of those senders. As a medium-sized company, we didn’t have the means to invest in IT security. The remedy we just did was to not open phishing emails and to be vigilant for future threats.
In today’s technologically driven society, IT threats have been immensely growing and several initiatives are being done to mitigate these threats and improve IT security.
An organization may encounter the following issues and their corresponding ways to address them.
Investment and improvement costs
Investing in any kind of technology is costly. Costs for the initial purchase, potential downtime associated with updating a device, and regular maintenance are always present. (Outsourcing Cyber Security: What Are the Pros and Cons?, 2020)
IT rapidly evolves, and cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated, so investing in additional protection or software and upgrading security is the solution.
Addressing the issue:
It is better to invest although costly compared to having a data breach which will cost more to troubleshoot. Also, as operating systems upgrade, it is better to outsource to be secure as possible and reduce the likelihood that you will need to pay for data recovery.
Unresponsive Support Team
Seeking assistance for system problems and receiving support to troubleshoot may take too long unlike in an in-house IT team where it’s closer to ask for help. (What Are the Risks of Outsourcing IT Services? (What to Consider), n.d.)
Addressing the issue:
Outsourced IT companies offer remote desktop assistance that can troubleshoot problems. Also, hire a committed and reputable company in fixing problems quickly and having experienced technicians that are available always.
Decreased Security
Decreased security may be caused by obsolete technologies, outdated security strategies, and not updated to latest security threats and best practices.
Addressing the issue:
Partner with a reputable IT expert to maintain the best network security, backup and recovery systems, and disaster preparedness. (What Are the Risks of Outsourcing IT Services? (What to Consider), n.d.)
These are just a few of the many issues that companies choosing to outsource IT security may face. On another note, these issues always have solutions to address them. Although it is better for the company to do thorough research first on whether an IT security investment can benefit or hinder its growth, it has been proven that the benefits still outweigh the costs. So, to outsource IT security or not? Definitely, YES!
Every day, we are risking our lives to unknown elements. Elements we have previously faced and conquered, and those that we have yet to face and are not certain how to conquer.
The same is true in organizations. When we are handling projects, we face and anticipate risks. Although there are some risks that are simply out of our control, it is best to have countermeasures to mitigate or eliminate them by establishing a project risk management plan.
There are two ways in which project risk management (PRM) is regarded; one with a doubtful mindset and the other with an open mindset. As managers, we must have the ability to be on top of our game, and one of the ways to make it possible is through our influence on our members, especially those with a doubtful mindset.
To make sure that project risk management is fully understood, we follow the acronym PRM in educating the members on its value.
Present and discuss the importance of Project Risk Management because it allows us to identify, analyze, and manage project risks. After recognizing potential risks, plans can be made to avoid them. If at some point, unavoidable risks occur, the defined alternative courses of action are ready to implement and mitigate the impact on the project.
Require the involvement of the project team, stakeholders, and other experienced risk experts. This will make them feel that their inputs are important. In this step, the team is to classify the risk by the probability that it will occur and the impact on the project if the risk does occur, then identify which risks are to be tackled with a plan.
Manage the monitoring of the project whether the risk has occurred or not yet and measure the results through a selected model. Most importantly, projects should be directly linked to the organization's strategy and goals.
While it is a challenge to convince the minds of other people, we must take into account that learning new things is always a process. In the same way, creating a risk management plan is a process and its importance cannot be underestimated. So, Yay! to Project Risk Management.
The advent of IT has brought changes in how we deal with our everyday lives. Changes that initiated positive and negative consequences.
When I was in high school, I first gravitated towards utilizing and adopting technology. We had one personal computer that the whole family of seven used. We had time schedules on who to use it. The constant tinkering of our personal computer piqued my curiosity and I was instantly hooked. From that day forward, and as a constant seeker of learning, I knew then and there that IT would bring me a lot of conveniences. As a school girl, I very much took advantage of it in passing school requirements and surfing the internet for new information instantly.
Fast forward to now, as a busy working professional, I truly appreciated how IT has made my daily tasks convenient, efficient, and effective. As someone in the Supply Chain field, IT has been our companion - from purchase orders, communication with suppliers, inventory control monitoring and traceability, and shipment. It has helped in the easy retrieval of information, supply planning and calculation of lead times.
IT shared a big chunk of space in my growth as an individual. Whenever I encounter something I’m not familiar with, I instantly resort to searching the internet for information. After I graduated college, I started working away from home, all thanks to IT for its convenience that I was constantly communicating with my family and friends for updates.
I cannot overemphasize the usefulness of IT in our daily lives, but it can also be detrimental. In my early years of being exposed to technology, I had times when I got somehow addicted to playing online games and slept late. I would play after classes and during weekends. I also had a time when I got scammed in sending prepaid loads to a scammer. I learned from all of that, and laughed it off whenever I remember it.
IT has been a good friend and always will be, as long as we learn when to connect and disconnect.
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