INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Enterprise Security

Praveen Kumar , Vice President for Asia Pacific , Rocket Software , makes the case for modernising in place .

But as the integration of open-source apps and tools becomes more prevalent , new risks emerge . organisations believe they can isolate workloads – with 58 % confident in their capability to do so rapidly .

However , 39 % acknowledged that effective workload isolation would require significant resources and time .

There ’ s little doubt that enterprises are sticking with their mainframes due because of the scalability , performance , reliability , availability and cost-effectiveness on offer .

That being the case , it is essential to modernise in place .

Chief among these is the potential exploitation of code within open-source apps , which can serve as an enticing target for hackers .

Organisations must address these vulnerabilities and implement robust security measures to protect their critical business systems .

Aside from the loss of revenue and damage to reputation , security breaches also result in the loss of valuable intellectual property and trade secrets .

Additionally , business leaders will be fully aware of the complex regulatory landscape in the APAC region with its stringent regulatory penalties , highlighting the financial and legal consequences of inadequate data protection .

To balance the need for mainframe security with innovation and modernisation , being proactive is crucial and rests on two major considerations .

Firstly , enterprises must go beyond building defensive capabilities and prepare to respond quickly by isolating workloads and limiting damage in the event of an attack .

According to Rocket Software ’ s State of the Mainframe 2023 Report , 97 % of

As breaches can occur at any time , business leaders must equip their IT staff with the necessary tools to isolate workloads beforehand .

Currently , 80 % of respondents reported having well-defined processes for managing and monitoring open-source usage in their mainframe environments – this should serve as a foundation to further bolster defences .

Regarding the management and monitoring of open-source usage , the implementation of continuous monitoring processes is the best way to address the risk of vulnerabilities slipping through via third-party source code . Through this continuous monitoring , gaps can be promptly identified and addressed .

As more enterprises leverage a hybrid cloud approach , securing the mainframe requires lean and nimble measures that extend security infrastructure beyond on-premises systems and well into the cloud .

At the heart of that is adopting a range of monitoring tools , improving data storage capabilities and utilizing intelligent automation solutions .

With these , IT teams can effectively keep track of their data , lighten workloads , and stay ahead of evolving regulatory guidelines .

In contrast to re-platforming , this augments the impact of mainframe investments .

And a key part of modernising in place is to preserve the gains made by implementing proactive measures that protect their mainframes from new perils . p

Praveen Kumar , Vice President for Asia Pacific , Rocket Software

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