The switch to mobile and remote work exposed grim security realities for many companies during the pandemic, and this seems to be driving change at the very top of the tech tree. For example, Apple has joined the Cyber Readiness Institute (CRI) as a co-chair.
Apple takes a seat
The Institute focuses on helping SMBs (small and mid-sized businesses) improve security practices by developing free resources to help them. This builds on the work platform providers already do to secure their platforms by educating and preparing enterprise customers with enhanced security awareness.
This will become increasingly important in the new post-pandemic business landscape in which at least 57% of U.S. companies have made major investments in expanding their mobile device deployments, according to SOTI. But many enterprises face problems managing these fleets, and one enterprise’s management challenge is a cybercriminal’s exploit opportunity.
The need to protect the entire supply chain is critical to the function of the CRI. As Co-chair Samuel L Palmisano said:
“We need to quite honestly simplify best practices for small businesses. Part of the process in convening leadership is to converge their ideas and come up with an approach that applies to SMBs.”
This may be part of Apple's White House security promise
Apple’s decision to join CRI follows an agreement to work with the White House and tech firms to improve supply chain security resilience. Now as a co-chair of the Cyber Readiness Institute, it can share best practices and experiences it has learned that may help protect businesses.
Apple’s promise at the White House was that it would “establish a new program to drive continuous security improvements throughout the technology supply chain.”
As part of that attempt, it said it would work with suppliers to “drive the mass adoption of multi-factor authentication, security training, vulnerability remediation, event logging, and incident response.”
