By: Vanessa Lew, Senior Security Advisor at AT&T

Top executives from around the world understand that cyber criminals now have even more ways to steal and hack into stored corporate data, whether that’s for financial information, marketing plans, or confidential emails. They are not only using apps, routers, and firewall-protected networks, but also sophisticated technologies that are often undetectable, such as Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attacks. Cyber criminals can get within your network and siphon off data over an extended period of time, sometimes using a more traditional Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack as a cover for the intrusion.

There are many security challenges in Asia, and to address these issues, here are the top three action items for executives to consider when assessing their security provisions.

1. Understand your security exposure. Consider what technologies, policies, procedures, and controls protect you from threats. How effective is this technical and non-technical security infrastructure? Do you regularly review firewalls and logs, searching for evidence of a breach?

2. Integrate security into decision making. Make top security part of your business development projects and growth strategies. Consider the monetary value of security and proactive risk management.

3. Select the right security technologies, policies, tools, and partners.  You have to keep pace with escalating security risks. Can you consolidate your basic security solutions and invest more wisely? How are you supporting employees and third-party partners to protect your business data and intellectual property? 

To learn more about the security challenges and risks in Asia, read the complete Networking Exchange blog.