For enterprises of any size, business innovation is a major concern since most companies are driven by global forces requiring them to be competitive in all aspects. Innovation nowadays is not limited to invention. From a focused definition, innovation stretches to multi-disciplinary facets and even carries a variety of functions to generate new type of value. Specialists define innovation in business as a means to go beyond the enterprise and to create collaborative efforts, and even interact with the consumers while keeping ties with partners solid. This is why the IT strategy also expands its role and presence all the more to meet the expanding goals of enterprises.

Sadly, information security is commonly not highlighted as part of a strategic IT plan and often times, security teams and innovations are set to the backdrop or the tail end of the process. Companies still consider information security a mere option, until now. Experts agree that information security is seeing some advancement where companies are looking at security more seriously and more awareness. Aligning security of data along with business goals is vital though there is still a struggle in concretizing these ideals to a solid IT strategy.

There are real risks in terms of using information inappropriately but a bigger problem is when these risks are not evaluated appropriately. In fact some companies might be embracing the risks far more and this could lead to a potentially bad result. Security breaches are real risks and when somebody gets hold of your data, this could mean loss of reputation, loss of partners, loss of shareholders and loss of consumers. Companies can be argumentative that they have solid security measures, but when reviewed, it is apparent that they do not even have established posterity measures should information be leaked.

In the last few years, we have seen high profile examples of security risks and privacy concerns. Known websites such as Facebook have been bombarded with criticisms on how information is presented and how there is very poor online security. Hacking problems on devices have also caused concerns about the product. Miss-steps in security can lead to big problems and this could result to reduced revenues.

We are in a time when connections and communication are vital resources to increase business presence and improve efficiency. However, if security is not part of the company’s business innovation, it will hit on you with great force. By avoiding the reality now, you only compound the risks and this could have a big effect on how the business will head in the near future.

Why is information security such a vital aspect of an IT strategy and the greater corporate strategy? Many businesses recognize the power of the internet and computer innovations, cloud computing and other tools. They connect themselves too close to their consumers which is not bad. Sadly, by embracing these innovations without proper security planning, they could lose grip of that information as well as intellectual property.

Another reason why information security should be top priority is the amount of outsourcing that companies do. With outsourcing, critical business information may be passed on to the company, and channels have to be created to ensure that the flow or business, data and information will be efficient. If a breach happens, this could lead to lawsuits and have an unfair aversion towards outsourcing. It is clear that information is an asset, but if companies are not aware of the risks that could happen when data is stolen or lost, it could mean problems in the long run.

Part of a solid IT strategy http://www.hcltech.com/enterprise-transformation-services/it-strategy-0 and business plan is establishing a powerful information security http://www.hcltech.com/it-infrastructure-management/information-security-services . We provide top notch innovations, solutions and services to increase consumer trust and corporate ties.