Information Security & Compliance
As the mobility and spread of workforce and access channels increases, the threat of Cybercrime and data fraud is increasing as businesses and organisations make greater use of automated and collaborative processes.
Serco has been active in the information security sector for over 11 years, working with defence, Government and blue chip organisations, protecting data and systems and ensuring compliance with the ever increasing legislation.
The needs of customers are changing - the focus on security means that business are faced with key questions, all of which have potentially create a number of business and financial issues:
Serco believes that true value comes from being able to provide an end-to-end security services portfolio meeting our customers security requirements, enabling them to gain a clear understanding of their current security state, and to build an information security strategy which will support their current and evolving business requirements.
Key security challenges facing organisations, particularly those whose operations cross borders, include compliance, the protection of intellectual property, cost reduction, and defence against online fraud and cyber espionage, and Serco, with its geographic spread, market sector experience and expert knowledge provide services to scientific and government arenas in these areas. Additionally, as a component of our Facility Management business across the globe, we are responsible for the operational compliance of services, systems and facilities for all aspects of security, from the physical premises security, to information valuation, storage, distribution and access control. Common processes work across all these areas - focusing on verification of the identity of actors in any transaction.
It is a complex and fluid business requirement - Data-protection laws are being strengthened and alongside more vigorous enforcement is being put in place (although still fairly inconsistently). At the same time, freedom-of-information legislation means that organisations cannot simply block the outflow of information, they also have to facilitate selective and controlled dissemination.
It is of paramount importance that customer needs for security functionality and assurance are accurately recorded, understood, and translated into security and assurance requirements for a system. Once the final product is produced, the users must be able to see that it reflects and satisfies their needs. The Serco Framework specifically includes processes designed to achieve these goals.
Serco work with a range of approved world leading suppliers in the provision of Information Security and Compliance. As a company who do not manufacture security components, we are free to select the tools which best fit our customers. One size certainly does not fit all when it comes to security considerations - the value of the data, overriding legislation, access methodologies, use of cloud (public or private) systems and virtualisation can differ by location, organisation and business requirement, and is fluid.