the big picture, or the specifics of a range
of lingering inequalities, it is indicative of
more progressive attitudes at the top.
Policies setting appropriate behavioural
and cultural standards are now pivotal.
It is all about shaping a company’s
identity and configuring it for optimal
performance. To fuel this process at
F5, we recently hired a senior director
of diversity and inclusion to help
safeguard our future at every level of
the organisation.
We also appointed our first ever Chief
Human Resources Officer to ensure
our organisation isn’t assembled in
a lopsided manner. Both positions
are held by females and they have
considerable influence at board level.
The same structure may not work at all
organisations but plans to continually
and appropriately enhance a workforces’
breadth and depth are unavoidable in
the context of enduring competitiveness.
Staying curious
In general, decision-making should
be encouraged and occur across the
organisation. Disassociated working
is a thing of the past. The future is a
fluid, rapid and collaborative model of
engagement and strategy.
empowerment and innovation capacity.
The main thing is for boardrooms to
continually improve their access to
differentiating intellectual capital, data
and insight. The c-suite is always at its
most powerful and influential when it
stays informed, accessible and curious. a cybersecurity problem during the
integration of the acquired company.
Mitigating merger and
acquisition risks This is a massive oversight.
Cyberattacks are now the biggest
concern for businesses in Europe,
Asia and North America, according to
a recent study by the World Economic
Forum. Drawing on responses from more
than 12,000 business leaders across
140 countries, the report found that
companies explicitly fear the potential for
hackers to threaten their operations over
the next decade.
David Warburton, Senior Threat
Research Evangelist, F5 Networks,
discusses how businesses and
organisations can mitigate cyber-
risks connected to the processes of
mergers and acquisitions.
Bringing together two organisations
is rarely a straightforward task. There
are so many factors to consider from
structure and staff to tools, cultural
idiosyncrasies and beyond. Lengthy
and in-depth due diligence is required
to understand how all the pieces work
or fit together.
Sadly, the same rigour isn’t always
applied to cybersecurity. According to
recent reports, it is estimated that four
in 10 acquiring companies engaged in
a merger or acquisition will discover
64
Business-related cybersecurity risks
are not helped by the many and varied
IT complexities organisations face,
such as the integration of legacy
infrastructures, the rush to embrace
Digital Transformation, the challenges
surrounding shadow IT, as well as
poor employee data management
practices. All too often, these factors
are overlooked when two organisations
become one.
Risks specific to each party aren’t
properly interrogated or understood in
isolation, let alone how they will interact
post-merger or acquisition. Here are
some key considerations to avoid getting
caught out:
For example, some departments
are responsible for game-changing
insights and talent. Are they being
adequately consulted and heard? Are
they equipped to make decisions that
matter? Organisational theorist Geoffrey
Moore suggests the balance can be
readdressed by ‘zoning off’ business
departments with the most transformative
impact. This, he argues, can increase
productive decision-making options for
boardroom consideration.
Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all
solution to optimise communication, staff
With the first nine months of 2018 alone
resulting in a record US$3.3 trillion in
merger activity (Financial Times figures),
we can expect trouble ahead.
David Warburton, Senior Threat Research
Evangelist, F5 Networks
Ensure technology is part of the
negotiations. Technology must be on
the agenda for any talks. Details to
consider should include the industry
quirks, geographic footprints and
the nature of products and services
provided. It is vital for companies to
investigate all relevant cybersecurity
and data privacy risks, accurately
charting their future evolution and cross-
organisational impact.
Issue 11
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