Featured article by Robert Cordray, Independent Technology Author
As you probably know, convincing executives about anything can be extremely difficult in business. They are often disconnected from the way things actually are in the lower levels of the company, and when it comes to topics such as cloud computing, they may not have any knowledge at all. Convincing these executives about how important security is in the cloud can be very difficult, but it can be done. Here are a few tips on how to get it through to these c-suite employees.
Frame it in a Way They Will Understand
Many executives are getting up there in age, and they bring a lot of great experience on how to run a company to the table. Unfortunately, this may also mean that they are not as keen on new technologies such as cloud computing. This means that they are reluctant to even hear about it, since it may be something they do not completely understand. A great way to get through to them is to analogize the idea of cloud computing and security in a way they will understand.
One way you could create this analogy is with a castle. You can say the cloud is a castle that is out in the middle of a field. It holds supplies for the company, and whenever the company needs those supplies, an armed caravan pretty much brings the information right to the door. If they cut short security, however, the walls will be thin and malicious forces, such as hackers, will be able to break through and take the information. Maintenance is also important to security. If the walls are not maintained, they will crumble and data could be damaged or stolen. This is a great way to create an analogy that is fun and that they will understand immediately.
It’s All About the Numbers
When it comes to executives, all they want to know is the numbers. They have a lot of things to worry about during the day, so they do not want to sit down and ready a 400 page synopsis on the importance of the cloud and how keeping it secure. That is why you should go in with the numbers ready to go. Blue Coat is a company that specializes in providing security solutions to companies. Blue Coat found that the average data security breach costs a company about $10,000, with some breaches costing companies millions. With this information in hand, you have a pretty good argument for looking more into security solutions for your cloud-based systems.
Brush Up on Your Negotiation Skills
Talking with these executives can be very intimidating, especially if you have never met them or you believe that your job depends on it. Let’s face it, many executives think that cloud-based systems come equipped with enough security, so convincing them otherwise will be extremely difficult. In order to get them on your side, you could take some negations classes. Many companies will offer classes like this to its employees for little or no cost. You can also find fundamentals of negotiations classes at technical schools, or just audit a class at a four year school. Either way you do it, you can use the tactics learned in negotiations training to get the executive level on your side when it comes to this extremely important security.
Cloud computing is becoming exceedingly prevalent at companies all over the world. The knowledge base of the average C-suite executive, on the other hand, is still just getting used to the entire business being on the computer. If it is your job to ensure that your cloud-based software has the proper security, and you have to convince the executive level to back you and make the expenditure, you may have your work cut out for you. Hopefully, by relating the security systems and reasons behind them to an analogy they will understand, showing them the numbers behind what could go wrong if security is breached, and making sure your negotiations skills are polished, you can convince these execs that security is important for your cloud-based systems.
