For any company today, no matter what its core business or where it is located, data is a most valuable asset. Much like the quote from bank robber Willie Sutton, Jr., when asked why he robbed banks, “That’s where the money is,” cyber criminals work tirelessly to find digital pathways into companies in order to steal their precious data. The information gleaned can be used in all sorts of nefarious ways on the underground marketplace; sold to competitors or used in identity scams … the list in endless.

“Security needs to be embraced at a very high level [by companies] to be able to evolve their business,” according to Patrice Perche, senior executive VP of worldwide sales and support at Fortinet Inc. Perche joined Lisa Martin (@Luccazara) and Peter Burris (@plburris), co-hosts of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile live streaming studio, during Fortinet Accelerate. They discussed the how the newly launched Fortinet Security Fabric is using unique ways to guard against cyber threats and strengthen IT security. (*Disclosure below)

Automating integral security

While security has always been a worrisome issue with the internet, there are many new challenges in the digital community with the rise of the Internet of Things and virtualized environments; it is critical that all elements of the digital economy are secured, according to Perche.

He went on to explain that organizations require a solution where protection and defense can be automated, building more calibration between communities. This is where the launch of Fortinet’s Security Fabric comes into play.

“That’s the purpose of building a system with people, knowledge [and] data that can react in real-time; that’s really the value of the security fabric,” explained Perche.

As the sophistication of hacking has increased, players have figured out how to gain access to an innocuous system in a business and use that as a portal to gain access to more important systems within the organization, Perche said.

A business needs to have an established “fabric” already in place to recognize these threats and neutralize them as swiftly as possible, or else their organizations and information can be at great risk.

And as Burris explained, “Security, in a digital world, is a strategic business capability. It’s tied to your brand; it’s tied to your products; it’s tied to the promises you’re making to the marketplace.”

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of Fortinet Accelerate 2017. (*Disclosure: Fortinet Inc. and other companies sponsor some Accelerate 2017 segments on SiliconANGLE Media’s theCUBE. Neither Fortinet nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo by SiliconANGLE