If your business is not worried about cybersecurity, it should be.
Cyber criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and new attacks are constantly testing the limits of even the most advanced security systems. Data breaches and ransomware are constantly in the tech news headlines—even as I write this post, The Register has just published a story about a ransomware attack stealing more than 1 million medical records from a hospital in Texas.[1]
Even IBM Power customers can’t take security for granted
Of course, the majority of successful attacks don’t involve IBM Power systems. For decades, companies have recognised that the IBM Power platform, and the IBM i operating system in particular, are highly secure by design, and much harder for attackers to breach than most other systems.
Yet even IBM i teams can’t ignore the mounting level of threat that exists today. In fact, according to HelpSystems’ 2022 IBM i Marketplace Survey, cybersecurity is IBM i users’ most commonly cited issue, with 62% of survey respondents reporting it as a top concern. In addition, 47% say that their greatest cybersecurity challenge is a lack of security knowledge and skills.[2]
The IBM i security skills shortage
This should not be surprising—with the rapid evolution of cyber threats, it’s extremely difficult for non-specialists to keep up with the latest vulnerabilities and security countermeasures. Moreover, since the talent pool is quite limited, it’s incredibly rare to find and hire people who really understand how to apply state-of-the-art security techniques to the unique environment of IBM i.
That might explain why the HelpSystems survey found that less than a third of IBM i shops have currently implemented security features that are already mainstream on other platforms, such as antivirus and ransomware protection, multi-factor authentication and database encryption. Only the very largest and best-resourced companies have the skills available to keep their systems safe.
Reaching the tipping point for cloud
That’s why we’ve now reached a tipping point. In the past, companies believed that moving their Power environment into the cloud was a security nightmare—today, it’s more like a dream come true. Instead of lying awake at night worrying that your team doesn’t know how to keep your applications and data safe, you can outsource IT security to world-leading experts with the tools and resources to keep cybercriminals out in the cold—permanently.
If you’d like to learn more about how Meridian IT’s Next Generation Cloud for IBM Power can help you take advantage of best-in-class managed security services such as PowerWatch, together with the latest cyber resilience features of IBM Power10 servers and FlashSystem storage, reach out to Meridian at [email protected]
[1] The Register, “Ransomware gang threatens 1m-plus medical record leak”, https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/14/ransomware_medical_groups/
[2] HelpSystems, “2022 IBM i Marketplace Survey”. p. 12-13 https://www.helpsystems.com/resources/guides/ibm-i-marketplace-survey-results
If you have any questions, the experts at Meridian are here to help. For more information contact our experts by phone at +01564 330650 or send an email to [email protected] for more details.
