Last week we looked at some of the key IT and cruise trends to watch out for this year, but this week has seen a lot of talk here about ‘security by design’. As this is an approach that ICE Technology Services and all of the brands that make up theICEway ecosystem of companies embrace, we thought it might make for an interesting read…
It is an unfortunate fact that security is very often an afterthought in the development process, which means that when vulnerabilities and security holes appear, they must be patched up in what can often be a hit-and-miss process.
According to Mel at ICE Technology Services, part of theICEway, he and the team prefer to take a much more proactive stance where possible:
“Attempting to tackle security holes as and when they are discovered is never going to be as effective as designing a secure system from the very beginning.”
The ‘Security by design’ approach to software and hardware development is one that aims to create systems that are impervious to attack, utilising continuous testing, authentication safeguards and the adoption and maintenance of, best programming practices.
“This year is going to see it [security by design] becoming much more important” Mel continues, himself a highly results-driven Senior IT Leader with almost 30 years of IT experience in the travel industry.
“Our engineers and consultants adopted this type of approach a long time ago, well before the Internet of Things became what it is now. IoT devices may make our everyday lives a lot easier, but the amount of data being processed now means that cyber security breaches are happening more than ever before. You can’t control the use of IoT devices, but you can ensure that security functions and protocols are set up as standard at the time they’re developed.”
Applying that thought process to the cruise industry is key for Mel and the team, who work tirelessly to ensure that all clients adopting theICEway achieve a good level of cyber resilience from the beginning.
“Cruise in particular is an industry that needs security by design”, continues Mel, clearly an advocate for the approach.
“Digital growth in cruise has been huge in the past few years alone. Passengers now download apps on board the cruise ship with their phones and tablets, so embedding security protocols in the architectural design of their systems is becoming ever more crucial.”
Security by design is growing in importance and will continue to grow in line with the IoT environment, in which virtually any device or object can be networked to make them addressable over the Internet.
Glossary
theICEway ecosystem of companies – comprising of ICE Technology Services (Managed Services, Cloud Services, Consultancy, Development), CRIBB Cyber Security (data protection and compliance), eTestware and AIVR Labs (future technologies), theICEway delivers a complete, end-to-end digital solution for cruise, travel, healthcare and other industries.
Internet of Things (IoT) – An IoT system connects and communicates with the cloud via sensors and devices. Upon reaching the cloud, the data is processed by software and the decision to perform an action might be made without the need for user intervention.
Top Tip
If you believe that the security by design approach is the right one for your business – and you are not alone in that – then our experts can help.
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