Poor Preparation for Digital Outages and Cloud Failures
Cloud technology plays an increasingly important role in the data security and continuity of organizations. At the same time, not all organizations are sufficiently prepared for disruptions in this chain. For example, 32 percent are unprepared for prolonged digital outages, such as outages from a cloud provider, and a quarter (26%) do not have an exit or transition plan in case the current cloud provider no longer meets the safety requirements or continuity of the organizations. Additionally, decision-makers and executives are concerned about cloud dependency. Especially with the current geopolitical risks, this is becoming an increasingly significant issue for many organizations. Nearly half (47%) believe that the organization is too dependent on cloud providers for business continuity, and 51% are worried about access to their data by non-European authorities, even when stored within the EU.
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Organizations Primarily React to Digital Outages
The research shows that many organizations primarily act reactively. For instance, 66 percent only implement improvements after an incident to prevent recurrence and increase digital resilience. Preventive measures are less common: 34 percent do not consciously use multiple cloud providers to spread technological and security risks. However, 57 percent indicate that when they make agreements with cloud providers, explicit agreements about continuity and recovery are documented. This shows that organizations are taking steps towards better risk management, but that prevention is not yet structurally part of the strategy everywhere.
Ronald van Heek, CEO of Proximus NXT Netherlands: 'Many organizations are concerned about their digital security, but are still insufficiently translating these concerns into concrete actions. This may be due to a lack of knowledge, financial resources, overview, or clear responsibilities. In the current geopolitical situation, where digital dependencies are becoming increasingly visible, this is a risk that organizations can no longer afford. Digital resilience in the event of a digital outage starts with preparation. Organizations should keep emergency and recovery plans up to date, make cloud dependencies transparent, and explicitly document continuity with suppliers. Additionally, it is important to think about a realistic exit strategy. Incidents show where improvements can be made, but prevention is always better than cure.'
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