MATT DOWSON explores how organisations can use cyber-security as a basis for business innovation.

Cyber-security and innovation are frequently viewed as separate entities within organisations. Businesses will often have the product, research and development teams working on bringing new ideas and products to market, while cyber-security remains to be seen as a tick box exercise or compliance point that slows creation and innovation down.

However, strong cyber-security practices bring so much more to a business than rules and regulation. If integrated into the innovation process properly, they can foster a culture of innovative thinking, be an enabler of technological advancements, and lead to greater innovation and a competitive advantage overall.

Many businesses may feel that bringing the two together is too large a feat to take on. The best place to start is understanding the ways in which cyber-security and risk management processes can be applied to enable better and more efficient innovation across the business. 

Here are a few ways the two can work together.

Encouraging open communication and increasing confidence

A robust and strategic cyber-security program – both internally and externally facing – establishes a foundation of trust and collaboration within a business. When employees feel that their ideas and contributions are protected, they are more likely to share knowledge, collaborate on projects, and engage in cross-functional innovation initiatives.

Enabling this open communication not only fosters an environment conducive to innovation but also promotes a culture of risk management and resilience within an organisation.

By understanding potential threats and vulnerabilities, employees can assess risks associated with new ideas and know how to proactively address them. This mindset encourages calculated risk taking, giving employees the autonomy to be creative and innovative whilst maintaining a general awareness of best cyber-security practices and mitigating potential cybersecurity risks.

IP protection

Cyber-security measures safeguard an organisation’s intellectual property, including proprietary information, trade secrets, and innovation. Protecting these valuable assets from cyber-threats means organisations can confidently pursue research and development while having high confidence that their innovations are secure.

Gaining customer insights

An important value added, by-product and, arguably, attractive marketing message for businesses is the notion of enhanced customer trust. Cyber-security resilience is closely tied to customer trust and confidence. By prioritising cyber-security, organisations demonstrate their commitment to protecting customer data and privacy which ultimately builds trust with customers and creates a positive environment for innovation.

When customers feel secure in sharing their data and interacting with innovative solutions, organisations can gather valuable insights and develop customer-centric advances.

The adoption of new technologies

Having a clear cyber-security strategy that employees are bought into not only helps build confidence around existing innovation, but it also helps organisations to embrace new technologies. Examples include AI-driven tools for content generation, automated customer service and product development, as well as new software and hardware that perhaps hasn’t previously been considered.

Further to this, embracing technology such as behavioural analytics can have a knock-on effect on cyber-security strategies, making them more powerful through the use and analysis of valuable data which in turn helps to drive informed, data-driven innovation initiatives.

Looking forward

To leverage cyber-security for driving innovation, business decision makers should look to promote a holistic approach that integrates cyber-security into the innovation process.

This can include providing resources for cyber-security training, fostering cross-functional collaboration between cyber-security and innovation teams, allocating budget for secure infrastructure and emerging technologies, and encouraging a culture that values both innovation and cyber-security equally.

By aligning these efforts, organisations can create an environment where innovative thinking and cyber-security go hand in hand, leading to sustainable and secure innovation outcomes and, ultimately, future business growth.

• Dowson is Commercial Lead, Cybersecurity at iomart