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Security and trust – foundation for better digital business


Johannesburg, 20 Oct 2021
Garsen Naidu, GM, Cisco Sub Saharan Africa.
Garsen Naidu, GM, Cisco Sub Saharan Africa.

Recent research supports what organisations globally have suspected all along: Security builds trust, which in turn builds business.

This is according to Garsen Naidu – GM at Cisco Sub-Saharan Africa. “As many countries around the world mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, it is worth noting that the Cisco 2021 Consumer Privacy Study has found that consumers are increasingly aware of online risks and want organisations to actively protect their data.”

The study found that consumers want transparency and control with regard to business data practices, and many are concerned about the use of their personal information in AI and automated decision-making. Despite over 140 national and multinational privacy laws around the world, nearly half of the consumers surveyed still feel they are unable to effectively protect their data, saying it’s hard to understand what companies do with the data, they don’t understand their other choices, and they don’t trust companies to follow stated policies. Seventy-nine percent said they were willing to spend time and money to protect their data, that privacy was a buying factor for them; with 47% saying they had actually switched companies or providers over their data policies or sharing practices – even though they may have been customers of those companies for years.

Says Naidu: “This illustrates that data privacy and trust in an organisation’s ability to secure and manage customer data properly have become a business driver. Failure to adequately protect data is likely to lose an organisation customers and revenue in future. In today’s digital economy, with increasing global uncertainty and malicious actors, an objective benchmark for assessing trust is vital and it requires full transparency.”

To build consumer confidence and trust, organisations need to make proper data management a top priority and embed security across their processes and technology to provide a trustworthy network foundation, he says. They need to ensure they work within a secure ecosystem with third-party service providers, secure their supply chain and continually strive to improve their security posture and employee security awareness. They also need to gain and keep trust by sharing reports, certifications and verification, and be visibly committed to maintaining protections for customers, products and their company.

Cisco’s New Trust Standard, a benchmark for assessing an organisation’s trustworthiness, helps organisations understand the core pillars in a process that makes trust quantifiable.

The New Trust Standard establishes the following critical elements needed for organisations to earn, maintain and grow customer confidence and trust:

  • Zero trust architecture: Keeping out attackers by challenging assumptions and verifying every connection, from every device, every time.
  • Trusted supply chain: Being aware of every component, how it is manufactured and where it has been – while working closely with suppliers to mitigate risk.
  • Data rights: Stay ahead of evolving customer expectations and government regulations.
  • Transparency: Being clear about what data is collected and how it is used; being open about incidents and issues as they transpire; and publicising what is being done to rectify issues.
  • Certifications and regulatory compliance: Demonstrating commitment to customers by earning trusted certifications awarded by independent third-party auditors.

The Cisco Trust Center offers further insights, stories and guidance on how organisations can build their digital future on a foundation of trust and transparency.

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