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    Ward Solutions shortlisted for two awards at 2016 Tech…

    Ward Solutions nominated to Tech Excellence Awards Shortlist - image
    Ward Solutions has been shortlisted for Company of the Year and Managed Company of the Year at the 2016 Tech Excellence Awards.

    Ward Solutions is delighted to announce that it has been shortlisted for two of the top awards at the prestigious and hotly contested Irish Tech Excellence Awards 2016. Ward was shortlisted for Company of the Year and Managed Service Company of the Year, based on a number of milestones in 2015.

    When it came to shortlisting applicants, an expert panel of judges looked at various factors, including revenue and employee growth, the launch of new services, and significant investments. Ward’s investment of €1.2M in its new Security Operations Centre (SOC), continued revenue and employee growth, as well as other initiatives, such as the provider’s focus on employee training, impressed the judges and ultimately led to the company being shortlisted for Company of the Year.

    The new SOC facilitated significant expansion to Ward Solutions’ range of managed services, including the launch of the company’s new managed security information and event management (SIEM) service. Ward’s efficiency and dedicated provision of information security services has continued to attract new customers, and has also enabled the company to maintain a customer retention rate of over 98%.

    This expansion of service offerings, coupled with Ward’s array of accreditations, such as ISO 27001 certification, impressed judges enough to convince them to also shortlist Ward for Managed Service Company of the Year.

    Now in their 16th year, the Tech Excellence Awards celebrate the very best in the industry of information technology, acknowledging excellence in implementing tech solutions, the business of marketing and implementing technology for business. The Awards Presentation Night is a black-tie event, which will take place on 12th May in the glamourous surrounds of the Ballsbridge Hotel, Dublin 4.

    For more information on Ward’s latest service offerings visit https://www.ward.ie/ or call  +353 1 6420100.

    Insights

    Discover job satisfaction at Ward Solutions

    Job satisfaction to be found at Ward Solutions - image
    A role at Ward Solutions can offer you complete job satisfaction, and a healthy work-life balance.

    Recently, while having a coffee with a friend, I was asked if I was happy within my current role as HR Manager at Ward Solutions, and whether my position provided me with sufficient job satisfaction. I answered that I was extremely satisfied in my position, but my friend’s question lingered in my thoughts for some time that day, and made me think about the level of job satisfaction that we offer to our employees at Ward Solutions.

    Working at Ward offers the following benefits:

    • We offer the opportunity to be part of a fast growing organisation built on team work and innovation.
    • We are committed to fostering a culture of learning, helping you to unlock your full potential and advance your career.
    • We have the experts here to mentor you within your career path.
    • You will receive and complete challenging work that will provide job satisfaction.
    • We have the right people here to help you enjoy your working day every day.
    • We are continuously improving and we are looking for those who like change to join us on this journey.
    • You will work with a team of experts and experience ‘Excellence,’ ‘Integrity,’ ‘Efficiency’ and ‘Value’ at their finest.

    The role of HR Manager at Ward Solutions has provided me with everything I wanted from a job, and more.  I feel valued by the team and I have the support of those around me to help me to achieve my goals.  Ward Solutions is a company on the move, making changes and making a difference on two levels. We constantly strive to ensure that our employees are satisfied in their roles, and that they take pleasure and pride from the work that they do. This in turn guarantees our customers an unparalleled level of service, and the highest standards of information security service and expertise.

    This highlights the importance of job satisfaction among employees and its fundamental relationship to the success of the organisation.
    Do you need a challenge, or just fancy a change? Are you tired of working in the same organisation? If so, now is the time to join a growing organisation that cares about its people, its customers and about Information Security.  Ward Solutions is an information security consultancy and system integration company. We help organisations protect their brand, people, assets, intellectual property and profits by identifying the threats, and minimising the risks that they face.

    If you want to join a growing organisation in which your voice will be heard and where you will be able to make a difference, make sure to contact us today. Follow our company page on LinkedIn and find out more about us.  Visit our website www.ward.ie or contact me confidentially for a discussion on what openings we have in relation to Information Security Penetration Testers / Web Application Tests / Sales.
    I have found total job satisfaction at Ward Solutions and I would love to help you have the same here too.

    <em>by Anita Walsh, HR Manager, Ward Solutions</em>

    Insights

    Cloud Security – Is the changing nature of how…

    Ensure the adequate security protocols are in place to secure your data - image
    Without the provision of adequate security protocols, flexible working arrangements can put potentially sensitive data at risk.

    Technological innovation and development has altered how we work over the last decade, with services such as cloud computing and rules like Bring your own Device (BYOD) being implemented in many workplaces. However, without the provision of adequate security protocols this can put potentially sensitive data at risk. In the second part of a two part series we take a look at some of the best ways to ensure data security.

    Data Security – due diligence

    Though there are a multitude of reasons to choose a cloud computing solution for your business, there are also many potential security risks of which it is essential to be aware. Location of data, data encryption standards, projected lifecycle of the service, and complex supply chain relationships are all issues that should be considered before taking the plunge. Without due consideration, the risk of being blindsided by potential shortcomings of cloud, such as the totality of the service from a confidentiality, integrity, availability and accountability (CIAA) perspective, is high.
    Even when it comes to organisations that have implemented cloud solutions, many are not appropriately equipped to assess and address security risks when they present themselves. There are a number of reasons for this, chief among which is a lack of experience with cloud solutions on the part of the organisation. As cloud computing is a relatively new technology, some firms have been slow to migrate, and are therefore unaware of the potential risks that it holds.

    Sniper Scope Fatigue

    Although one of the main factors for organisations failing to address data security risk is a lack of awareness of the emergent standards and frameworks for cloud assurance, there are other factors putting data at risk. One such factor is so-called “sniper scope fatigue” – the situation in which companies place too much focus on specific hyped security concerns rather than adopting a more holistic risk assessment and cloud service assurance consideration. This can be seen in the caution displayed by many businesses when it comes to the public cloud. Organisations are typically more diligent in assessing the risk of these services and tend to take a more conservative approach to their use.
    Organisations need to do more to validate all cloud services and recognise that the lifecycle and service delivery model is significantly different to traditional on premise legacy services. General assumptions that private or hybrid cloud solutions are secure or “more” secure than public cloud can often be seriously misplaced as is the default assumption that legacy on premise services are “more” secure than public or private cloud services.

    Take the right steps towards robust data security
    Outsourcing to a specialist 3rd party security service provider like Ward Solutions to manage your security needs is a sensible move.

    Choosing a third party security service specialist

    Bearing in mind the various risks outlined above, it’s essential to maintain a cast-iron security solution. However, information technology systems have developed to the point at which it is no longer possible to have a small in-house IT team capable of tackling every data security issue that may arise. The rapid pace of development means that it has become difficult to source, retain or develop the full set of information security skills, resources and services that are required. This is why outsourcing to a specialist 3rd party security service provider like Ward Solutions is a sensible move.  Many mature organisations have recognised this fact, and have moved to what is known as a “security programme approach.” This is where the organisation retains a small set of core skills and resources that are important or critical to their organisation – e.g. governance and risk management, and they have a structured approach to outsourcing the less critical or more highly specialised services like security operations, managed security services and security audit and testing. This arrangement is built on a committed partnership basis between customer and supplier, due to the skills required and the need for deep levels of trust and understanding of an organisation’s business to gain maximum value and protection.

    Best practices for robust data security

    As well as partnering with a 3rd party security service provider like Ward Solutions there are a few simple steps that you can take in order to ensure that your data is as secure as possible.

    First and foremost, the risk assessment of the cloud must be performed holistically, and must consider the information assets that it contains or processes, the lifecycle of the service, and its criticality to the organisation. It’s important to understand the differences to the organisation between a cloud service delivery model and a traditional on premise solution.
    Secondly, adopt appropriate frameworks, standards and best practices for your information security and risk management and ensure that your organisation has the appropriate skills and resources to manage cloud and cloud security. If you don’t, consider a security programme or partners to help you manage.

    Thirdly, ensure that your proposed cloud is and will be compliant with organisation, audit, legal, regulatory and industry obligations – in all jurisdictions that you operate in. Consider a cost benefit risk analysis of the risk and proposed appropriate mitigations to address those risks and ensure that all business and technical stakeholders are informed and brought into the risks and proposed mitigation plans.
    In short, deploy, migrate, control, manage, verify, trust and verify again.

    For industry leading information security consultancy services contact Ward Solutions today.