Canalys Channels Forum: What’s the no.1 issue facing IT managers?

That’s the number one, number two and dare the industry admit it, number three priority for IT managers today.

Security. Security. Security. That’s the number one, number two and dare the industry admit it, number three priority for IT managers today.

Claiming that risk and issues related to security have become “bigger than even before”, Canalys CEO and President Steve Brazier believes the notion of protection and prevention has developed from an “ongoing issue to the number one issue.”

The issues of state surveillance and state espionage have become larger and larger.

“Security is no longer about stopping teenage boys doing rogue things on the network,” says Brazier, addressing the audience at the Canalys Channels Forum in Shanghai last week.

“Security is a very serious issue coming from the state and from your competitors.”

Citing the recent high-profile attack on US retailer Target, Brazier identified a shift in approach to security during 2014, as the conversation moves up the elevator to the top floor of management.

“The CIO wasn’t fired,” explained Brazier, referring to Target’s loss of millions of credit card details, “the CEO was fired.

“This means security is now a board level issue for companies around the world.

“Take the Nasdaq hack earlier this year as another example. For three months they didn’t know they were hacked, they weren’t able to identify it and when they discovered the breach they didn’t know who did it and why.

“The issue was so serious President Obama was briefed.”

As issues surrounding state surveillance and state espionage become “larger and larger”, Brazier offered insight into how the Asia-Pacific channel market can take advantage.

“You need to tell these stories to your customers and if you help them down the path of protecting the CEO’s jobs and having board level discussions, you will have a very rich future,” he advised.

“This issue is only going to get bigger and bigger.”

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