{"id":13797,"date":"2020-11-11T09:37:42","date_gmt":"2020-11-11T09:37:42","guid":{"rendered":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/?p=13797"},"modified":"2023-01-17T10:25:20","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T10:25:20","slug":"cio-watercooler-navigating-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/cio-watercooler-navigating-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Lessons from the CIO Watercooler: Navigating Change"},"content":{"rendered":"

Throughout October, RingCentral powered another round of CIO Watercooler\u2019s Digital Boardroom sessions. This Digital Boardroom series gives us some great industry insight with access to roundtable events and a panel of experts reflecting on the state of tech innovation in the modern business.<\/p>\n

Last month\u2019s roundtable discussions covered a broad scope of topical challenges for the IT leader, helping to guide you through the tumultuous and dynamic landscape of this latter part of the year. Tech industry leaders reflected on their experiences and discussed the adjustments we might make in coping with unprecedented changes in the future of our workplace.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve examined and expanded on some of the key topics to give you our key takeaways from the October CIO Watercooler roundtable.<\/p>\n

Taking cybersecurity seriously<\/h2>\n

The topic of cybersecurity is a challenging one to explain to board members. However, the risks involved and the costs at stake have put cybercrime high on the agenda for IT leaders. Looking at ways to engage board members with the cyber agenda, Steven Trippier, Group CISO of Anglian Water shared his expertise.<\/p>\n

Speaking of a \u2018skills gap\u2019 between cyber experts and the members of a board, who generally boast traditional and longstanding professions, cybercrime is an entirely new concept. This along with the complexity of cyber metrics means there is something of a barrier in terms of board members comprehending, and therefore engaging in the topic of cyber risks.<\/p>\n

Trippier argues that the business approach to cyber should be proactive and customer-focused, rather than reactive as it often is now. Educating staff about phishing<\/a> emails, monitoring and reporting on results could be one way to indicate the extent of the risk, helping to keep security front of mind for board members.<\/p>\n

\u201cCyber is the voice of truth. Businesses own risk. The escalation of the security conversations from IT to the business, ultimately means we can put the focus where it should be – with the owners of the business services, with the beneficiaries of the value, rather than hiding deep in technology land.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Steven Trippier, Group CISO of Anglian Water<\/strong><\/p>\n

Navigating uncertainty<\/h2>\n

With IT departments across the globe having to take the lead in the early stages of the pandemic, implementing the strategy and appropriate technology solutions to guide us through an exceptional period of change, there has been huge pressure on IT leaders and their teams. In some cases, this has led to teams overcompensating with technology applications, equipment and cloud capability resulting in over expenditure and opening the business up to more security risks.<\/p>\n

Making use of technology intelligence could help businesses to identify applications or services that are surplus to requirements. In many cases, service providers may accept a downgrade or waive fees for subscriptions or advanced services underutilised or lying dormant.<\/p>\n

“Detecting over-expenditure for cost-cutting can unlock funds and budget for important and transformative projects for the business. The adverse effect is a visibility gap that can slow the pace of transformation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Alastair Pooley, CIO, Snow Software<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t