Page 24 - Cyber Defense eMagazine for July 2020

Security, Convenience & Privacy: A Neverending War

By Michael Covington, VP of Product Strategy, Wandera

The veritable “Sophie’s Choice” among security decision-makers has increasingly become the three-way
tug-of-war between security, convenience and privacy. With the introduction of General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in 2018, there’s a clear global trend
toward prioritizing consumer privacy. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred unprecedented
numbers of remote employees, leaving organizations grappling with a novel set of challenges when it
comes to security. Yet according to Verizon’s Mobile Security Index 2020 (MSI), organizations continue
to sacrifice security, with 52 percent of respondents citing convenience as a top reason to let security
take a backseat.
When GDPR took full effect in 2018, it was tangible evidence that people were ready to take more control
over their personal data. The terms of GDPR require organizations to ensure that the personal information
that is gathered during normal business transactions remains protected while still respecting the privacy
rights of data owners, demonstrating a heightened sense of concern over personal data privacy. The
passing of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the same year was further confirmation that
consumers were concerned about where and how their personal data was being used, and legislators
affirmed they were within their rights to know.

So, the pressure for organizations to remain transparent while simultaneously protecting the security of
their employees and users has been steadily building, leaving business and security leaders at a
crossroads. So the question remains: how are organizations to choose between security, convenience,
and privacy when it comes to their employees and customers alike?

Cyber Defense eMagazine –July 2020 Edition 24
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