How Security Leaders Can Break Down Barriers to Enable Digital Trust

This is part one of a two-part series on advancing digital trust in a security context.

The term “digital trust” has gained traction in the business landscape, but many people hear “digital trust” and equate it to avoiding cybersecurity incidents.

In reality, security leaders hold a significant role in this mission, but building digital trust requires much more than a high-performing security team.

Viewed in this broader sense, digital trust is defined by ISACA as the confidence in the relationship and transactions among providers and consumers within the digital ecosystem, including the ability of people, organizations, processes, information and technology to create and maintain a trustworthy digital world.

Customers expect a reasonable degree of digital trust from every organization with a digital footprint – at least the ones with which they will be willing to do business. Although they might not consciously frame it in these terms, these fundamental elements of digital trust serve as the foundation upon which consumers base their judgments about an enterprise’s trustworthiness:

• Quality: Quality must meet or exceed consumer expectations. 
• Availability: Consumers need to be able to access accurate information in a timely manner. 
• Security and privacy: Consumers need assurance that their data and information are safe and protected. 
• Ethics and integrity: Enterprises should live up to their promised values. 
• Transparency and honesty: Consumers should be informed about how their information is being used. If personal information has been compromised, consumers should know how the enterprise is addressing the current situation and preventing it from happening again. 
• Resiliency: Enterprises must provide assurances that they are stable and can withstand adverse circumstances while simultaneously evolving to leverage new technologies and advancements.  

Although commonly associated with cybersecurity, digital trust extends far beyond that realm. It can be thought of as the invisible thread that establishes a common goal and focus among several distinct organizational roles.