A new frontier. How the IT world opened up and became vulnerable

From the island to the open world

In the past, everything was defined: the network was internal, the servers were local, access was regulated. VPN, directory services, clearly separated responsibilities. A closed-off world, secure and controllable.

But those days are over. Today, the IT landscape is open, dynamic, fragmented and vulnerable. Companies work with cloud platforms, access services around the globe and outsource infrastructure to external providers. The classic "inside" and "outside" no longer exist.

as-a-service: flexibility with a security gap

Whether ERP system, cloud storage or collaboration tool, everything is now "as-a-service". But with this flexibility comes a new responsibility: the security architecture no longer ends at your own data center, but must extend across networks, provider boundaries and time zones.

The key question: Do you actually know how secure your service providers are?

Many of these providers do not have cyber security as a core business. They have to trust that their security standards are effective at all times. But what happens in the event of a zero-day exploit? How quickly is it patched? Who reacts when it becomes critical?

Supply chains in the digital space

Every external service provider is part of your digital supply chain and therefore a potential risk. If there is "security poverty", i.e. a lack of security awareness or a shortage of resources, you can invest as much as you like: The overall level remains vulnerable.

Even seemingly harmless scenarios can be dangerous. Think of the developer who secretly passes on his order to a team in China. Or employees who operate from other EU countries - but have never been personally identified. Who is really on the other end of the line?

IT security with loss of control

In the new reality, companies need a new security culture:

• Stronger governance across all ...aaS services
• Transparency about tools used and access rights
• Control mechanisms for global remote working
• Security assessment along the entire supply chain

Because one thing is clear: threats are not only coming from outside, but also from within the company's own structures.

What to do - before it's too late?

Many companies only seriously consider IT security once they have already been attacked. When data has been lost, systems paralyzed and reputations damaged. But it doesn't have to come to that.

The solution lies in proactive resilience. Raising awareness. Partnerships with experienced security experts. And in the willingness not to rely on old structures, but to accept the new reality and protect yourself.