IT consultancies can help with security risks

Posted by Steven Gaskill

Firms should consult with third-party providers, such as IT consultancies, if they are unsure of the security risks posed by new technologies, according to an expert.

Carole Theriault, senior security consultant at Sophos, claimed that making a company aware of potential security pitfalls is one of the "basic" roles of an IT department, but pointed out that they may have gaps in their knowledge.

She suggested that in this instance, IT teams should use the services of a third-party organisation to provide them with advice on the security risks and advantages of deploying a new technology across the organisation.

"People do get excited about new technologies and want to embrace them and it's the IT team that are supposed to be the ones that are basically steering the ship," the expert commented.

Ms Theriault added that firms always need to be attentive to security dangers of new technologies, as any weaknesses are likely to be exploited by hackers.

Recent research published by Symantec claimed that cybercriminals are increasingly turned their attention to business, because there is more chance they will be able to benefit from a financial gain.