Unisys CEO wants new security definition

The term “security” must be redefined and expanded to encompass global realities, said Unisys president Joseph McGrath.

In his keynote, Importance of Visibility to Secure Business Operations, at the World Congress on IT(WCIT), McGrath said there was a need for more visibility into business and government operations to better plan ahead and more effectively manage risk.

The keynote also addressed how organisations needed to strike a balance between security as defence and protection, and security as confidence and trust, said McGrath.

McGrath said the private and public sector must work together to improve security worldwide. He stressed that success demands a framework to identify, track and trace, and protect people, goods, information and IT systems.

“To achieve success, you must be more secure not only in a physical sense; you also need to be more confident. This means an organisation has to be visible, not merely preventing problems but also inspiring confidence in the marketplace,” he said.

Unisys also presented a policy proposal to WCIT delegates on the need for standards around procedures and practices in global identity authentication. The policy was the result of a global survey Unisys undertook on consumers’ views on privacy and security issues.

The research reveals that a majority of individuals worldwide would share personal data if they knew the end user will securely protect their information and they can perceive a clear benefit in convenience gained.

“Security often starts with identity authentication yet, to truly secure their critical business operations today, companies and governments need visibility into first, middle and last miles of the supply chain,” said McGrath.