Strategic cybersecurity investments fuel business growth - Vinay Sharma, Regional Director, India and SAARC, NETSCOUT

Businesses across industry verticals are observing the swift escalation of cybercrimes in both complexity and frequency.  Organizations that have encountered breaches or attacks have lost money, data, and other assets along with experiencing adverse effects from broader business disruptions. It is imperative for enterprises to prioritize the security of data, applications, networks, and critical business processes to remain competitive and deter potential attackers.

Relying solely on traditional security solutions and methodologies is insufficient to address the escalating sophistication of attacks that target businesses in today’s digital world.  Organizations that invest in suitable and resilient tools and technologies reap several benefits. 

Although within corporate budgets, security spending has often been viewed as a necessary expense or a cost center primarily focused on safeguarding the organization, this conventional perception fails to capture the breadth of benefits that robust security investments provide.  Beyond merely protecting against threats, a strategic allocation towards security functions serves as a crucial catalyst for business growth and facilitates expansion.

Let us explore three areas where investing in security functions as a safeguard for revenue protection and fosters growth within any organization

1.    Safeguarding revenue streams

By investing in robust security measures organizations can establish their financial health. Firstly, it prevents potential financial losses that are a result of data theft, regulatory penalties, and operational disruptions with security breaches.    Secondly, by implementing robust network security measures, cyberattacks or system failures can be mitigated ensuring less downtime and more revenue growth.   A strong security posture is key to preserving customer trust, where the latter feels confident in entrusting their data and business to the organization.  Allocating funds to security helps in meeting and exceeding regulatory requirements, avoiding legal expenses, and maintaining good standing in the industry. 

2.    Fuelling Business Growth

With businesses accelerating their digital transformation efforts, security plays a key role in facilitating growth.  Investing in security ensures a seamless transition to digitization, guaranteeing the secure implementation of new initiatives and technologies.  A secure foundation is also crucial for supporting scalability, allowing businesses to expand seamlessly without compromising security.

Furthermore, a robust security strategy provides a competitive edge as customers prefer businesses that prioritize their security needs.  This gives organizations an upper hand over competitors and draws in a larger customer base. Security becomes important when foraying into new markets or expanding globally, serving as a critical element in ensuring compliance with diverse regulations and safeguarding against region-specific threats.

Then, by investing in security businesses create a secure environment conducive to experimenting with new technologies and ideas, fostering growth and expansion.  Security investments also offer the agility to respond to market changes and emerging threats, promoting resilience and facilitating sustained growth.  A strong security stance also attracts potential investors and partners.  Furthermore, businesses known for their commitment to security establish a formidable brand image attracting customers, partners, and talent, increasing growth opportunities.

3.    Shifting the perspective

Instead of regarding security spending solely as an expense, it is important to acknowledge its function as a facilitator for safeguarding revenue and promoting growth.

To transform this perspective some of the key strategies can be employed.  Firstly, it is essential to ensure that security initiatives align seamlessly with the overarching business objectives.  Providing compelling data that showcases how security measures not only prevent potential financial losses but also contribute to revenue growth is crucial.  Equally important is acknowledging that a secure environment is imperative for nurturing innovation and facilitating the implementation of new revenue-generating initiatives. Additionally, illustrating the direct contribution of robust security measures on retaining customer trust, enhancing customer loyalty and revenues, and eventually expanding the customer base, is vital.

Robust security solutions can play a crucial role in ensuring business continuity by proactively identifying and addressing potential issues before they impact services, thereby enhancing overall resilience.  The ideal solution should represent a powerful cybersecurity platform offering comprehensive packet-based network visibility, threat detection, and response capabilities.  With Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) at its core, the solution should provide unparalleled security visibility across the network perimeter while also cost-effectively scaling to provide visibility into the internal network (including multi-cloud and hybrid cloud).  Such solutions should possess the capability to detect known and emerging threats with precision, ensuring uninterrupted services, and preserving customer trust and loyalty.