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With each passing year, contact centers experience more of the benefits of artificial intelligence. This technology — once only a distant idea portrayed with wonder and fear in science fiction — is now a key part of how businesses and customers interact.

According to survey data from Call Centre Helper, customer satisfaction is the number one factor driving more brands to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) as a part of their customer service models. AI’s ability to enable self-service and handle more calls more efficiently will prove critical for contact center success going forward. Not only that, but many contact center leaders find that its capacity for data collection and live interaction analytics presents game-changing possibilities for customer experience (CX).[1]

Yet, despite its many benefits, the present-day reality of AI isn’t fully free of the fears it has so often stoked in science fiction stories. One of the most pressing concerns about this powerful, widespread technology is its threat to data security. For contact centers, which house massive volumes of customer data and rely on chatbots to engage many customers and collect their information, this is a serious concern that can’t be overlooked. Thankfully, though, it’s also one that can be addressed.

The growing problem — and cost — of data breaches

Data breaches have made the headlines many times in recent years. Major brands and organizations, from Microsoft and Facebook to Equifax and the Cash App, have had troves of sensitive customer data stolen in cyberattacks that affected millions of consumers.

Despite the high-profile headlines, however, these cyberattacks can still seem like unfortunate but isolated events. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), a nonprofit organization that supports victims of identity crime, there were 1,862 data breaches in 2021. That exceeds 2020 numbers by more than 68% and is 23% higher than the all-time record of 1,506 set in 2017. 83% of those 2021 data breaches involved sensitive customer data, such as Social Security numbers.[2]

For the companies that fall victim to these data breaches, the costs are enormous. Brand reputation is sullied and customer trust is eroded, both of which can take years to rebuild and result in millions in lost revenue.

Those effects are significant enough, but they’re not the only ones. The immediate costs of a data breach are substantial. According to IBM’s latest data, the average data breach for companies across the globe costs $4.35 million. In the U.S., it’s much higher — at $9.44 million. It also varies significantly by industry, with healthcare topping the list at $10.10 million.[3]

The risks of AI

There are various vectors for these data breaches, and companies must work to secure each nexus where customer data can be exposed. As repositories for vast amounts of customer data, contact centers represent one of the most critical areas to secure. This is particularly true in the era of cloud-based contact centers with remote workforces, as the potential points of exposure have expanded exponentially.

In some ways, AI enhances an organization’s ability to discover and contain a data breach. The IBM report notes that organizations with full AI and automation deployment were able to contain breaches 28 days faster than those without these solutions. This boost in efficiency saved those companies more than $3 million in breach-related costs.[3]

That said, AI also introduces new security risks. In the grand scheme of contact center technology, AI is still relatively new, and many of the organizational policies that govern the use of customer data have not yet caught up with the possibilities AI introduces.

Consider chatbots, for instance. Nowadays, these solutions are largely AI-driven, and they introduce a range of risks into the contact center environment.

“Chatbot security vulnerabilities can include impersonating employees, ransomware and malware, phishing and bot repurposing,” says Christoph Börner, senior director of digital at Cyara. “It is highly likely there will be at least one high-profile security breach due to a chatbot vulnerability [in 2023], so chatbot data privacy and security concerns should not be overlooked by organizations.”

As serious as data breaches are, the risks of AI extend far outside this arena. For instance, the technology makes companies uniquely vulnerable to AI-targeted threats, such as Denial of Service attacks, which specifically aim to disrupt a company’s processes in order to gain a competitive advantage.

Going a step further, we have yet to see what could happen if a company deploys newer and more advanced forms of AI, such as ChatGPT, which launched in November to widespread awe at its ability to craft detailed, human-like responses to an array of user questions. It also spouted plenty of misinformation, however. What happens when a brand comes under fire for its bot misleading customers with half-baked information or outright factual errors? What if it misuses customer data? These are bona fide security threats every contact center relying on AI needs to be thinking about.

Solving the problem of chatbot and data security

The threats may be many and varied, but the solutions for facing them are straightforward. Many are familiar to contact center leaders, including basic protocols like multi-factor authentication, end-to-end chatbot encryption, and login protocols for chatbot or other AI interfaces. But true contact center security in the age of AI must go further.

Returning again to chatbots, Börner notes, “Many companies that use chatbots don’t have the proper security testing to proactively identify these issues before it’s too late.”

The scope of security testing needed for AI systems like chatbots is far more extensive than what any organization can achieve through manual, occasional tests. There are simply too many vulnerabilities and potential compliance violations, and AI can’t be left to its own devices or entrusted with sensitive customer data without the appropriate guardrails.

Automated security testing provides those guardrails and exposes any potential weak spots so contact center software developers can review and address them before they result in a security breach. For chatbots, a solution like Cyara Botium adds an essential layer of security. Botium is a one-of-a-kind solution that enables fast, detailed security testing and provides guidance for resolving issues quickly and effectively. Its simple, code-free interface makes it easy to secure chatbot CX from end to end.

If your contact center is committed to AI-driven chatbots, you can’t afford to sleep on securing them. To learn more about how Botium can enhance security for your chatbots, check out this product tour.

[1] Call Centre Helper. “Artificial Intelligence in the Call Centre: Survey Results.”

[2] Identity Theft Resource Center. “Identity Theft Resource Center’s 2021 Annual Data Breach Report Sets New Record for Number of Compromises.”

[3] IBM. “Cost of a data breach 2022.”

Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning

Posted on Posted in Digital transformation, General topics Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

One of the most important components of data privacy and security is being compliant with the regulations that call for the protection of information.

Regulators want to see transparency and controllability within organizations, because that is what makes them trustworthy from a data privacy and security standpoint. Ideally, organizations will deploy systems that provide compelling evidence to support their claims that they are meeting their requirements to deliver the protection and performance needed by stakeholders.

Protecting data from theft and improper use has long been the domain of cybersecurity and IT executives. But today, this is really a concern for the entire C-suite and, in many cases, the board of directors, all of whom are well aware of the repercussions of a data breach and failing to comply with regulations.

There is simply too much at risk when companies don’t ensure a level of control and trust in how they handle data. This is the case because of several converging trends:

The ongoing growth in the volume of business data, including a huge amount of information about customers and employees — much of it personal and personally identifiable.The importance this data holds from a strategic standpoint. Companies rely on the insights they gain from analyzing market data to provide a competitive advantage.An ever-expanding threat landscape, with increasingly sophisticated and well-financed cybercriminals going after this data for profit.A disappearing enterprise “perimeter” with the increase in cloud services, remote work and mobile devices used by employees in various locations. The idea of a fixed perimeter protected by a firewall no longer applies to most organizations.

In the midst of all this is the increase in government regulations designed to hold organizations accountable for how they gather, store, share and use data. An organization that fails to comply with such regulations can face stiff fines and other penalties, as well as negative publicity and damage to its brand.

Gaining trust and control

One of the challenges with establishing control and trust with data is a lack of visibility regarding the data: where it resides, who has access to it, how it is being used, etc. Organizations need to know their level of risk and how risk can be mitigated, as well as their level of progress in enhancing data security and privacy.

Endpoint devices present a particularly high level of cyber risk, because of the challenges of managing a large and growing number of mobile devices and apps in the workplace, as well as desktops and laptops used for remote work. Many threat actors target corporate data for theft and extortion, and endpoint devices present potential entry points into an organization.

The endpoint attack surface has expanded quickly over the past few years,

thanks in large part to the growth of remote and hybrid work. For many organizations, there is a sense that the attack surface is spiraling out of control, because of the challenge of gaining visibility and control of this environment. They realize that just a single compromised endpoint could result in an attack that causes significant financial and reputational damage.

Unfortunately, few tools on the market are designed specifically to monitor and manage cyber risk on a unified basis. Organizations have had to stitch together point solutions to get by. And in many cases, they lack data that is current, accurate, comprehensive, and contextual.

In addition, many organizations lack the ability to measure and compare corporate risk scores with industry peers; quickly take action after risk is scored; set goals for vulnerability remediation; and prioritize which areas to spend limited security resources on.

In order to build trust and gain better control of data, organizations need to leverage technology that gives them the ability to know how vulnerable their critical assets are, whether they are achieving their goals to improve security posture, how they measure up against industry peers; and what they should be doing to become more secure.

Ideally, technology tools should be able to provide organizations with real-time comparisons with industry peers in areas such as systems vulnerability, outstanding patches and lateral movement risk.

From a visibility standpoint, tools should identify vulnerability and compliance gaps across all endpoints used in an organization, enabling organizations to prioritize those issues that represent the highest risk, visualize complex relationships between assets and collect real-time feedback. They should be able to track each asset by collecting comprehensive data on all endpoints in real time.

In terms of control, security tools need to help organizations greatly reduce the attack surface by managing patches, software updates and configurations. Metrics should provide a clear sense of progress over time and indicate where improvements are needed.

From a trust perspective, tools should provide a single, accurate view of risks, enabling risk scoring and dashboards that give executives a clear sense of the level of risks and how they can be mitigated.

When it comes to ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations, IT and security leaders need to establish trust and control within their organizations’ environments. That’s the only way to demonstrate to regulators — as well as to customers, employees and business partners — that they are taking data privacy seriously and taking the necessary steps.

The most effective ways to be compliant and at the same time enhance data security are to gain greater visibility into the organization’s infrastructure, including every endpoint device, evaluate the effectiveness of security solutions and make needed improvements, and compare risk metrics with those of comparable organizations.

Assess the risk of your organization with the Tanium Risk Assessment. Your customized risk report will include your risk score, proposed implementation plan, how you compare to industry peers, and more.

Data Privacy

Posted on Posted in Digital transformation, General topics Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

One of the most important components of data privacy and security is being compliant with the regulations that call for the protection of information.

Regulators want to see transparency and controllability within organizations, because that is what makes them trustworthy from a data privacy and security standpoint. Ideally, organizations will deploy systems that provide compelling evidence to support their claims that they are meeting their requirements to deliver the protection and performance needed by stakeholders.

Protecting data from theft and improper use has long been the domain of cybersecurity and IT executives. But today, this is really a concern for the entire C-suite and, in many cases, the board of directors, all of whom are well aware of the repercussions of a data breach and failing to comply with regulations.

There is simply too much at risk when companies don’t ensure a level of control and trust in how they handle data. This is the case because of several converging trends:

The ongoing growth in the volume of business data, including a huge amount of information about customers and employees — much of it personal and personally identifiable.The importance this data holds from a strategic standpoint. Companies rely on the insights they gain from analyzing market data to provide a competitive advantage.An ever-expanding threat landscape, with increasingly sophisticated and well-financed cybercriminals going after this data for profit.A disappearing enterprise “perimeter” with the increase in cloud services, remote work and mobile devices used by employees in various locations. The idea of a fixed perimeter protected by a firewall no longer applies to most organizations.

In the midst of all this is the increase in government regulations designed to hold organizations accountable for how they gather, store, share and use data. An organization that fails to comply with such regulations can face stiff fines and other penalties, as well as negative publicity and damage to its brand.

Gaining trust and control

One of the challenges with establishing control and trust with data is a lack of visibility regarding the data: where it resides, who has access to it, how it is being used, etc. Organizations need to know their level of risk and how risk can be mitigated, as well as their level of progress in enhancing data security and privacy.

Endpoint devices present a particularly high level of cyber risk, because of the challenges of managing a large and growing number of mobile devices and apps in the workplace, as well as desktops and laptops used for remote work. Many threat actors target corporate data for theft and extortion, and endpoint devices present potential entry points into an organization.

The endpoint attack surface has expanded quickly over the past few years,

thanks in large part to the growth of remote and hybrid work. For many organizations, there is a sense that the attack surface is spiraling out of control, because of the challenge of gaining visibility and control of this environment. They realize that just a single compromised endpoint could result in an attack that causes significant financial and reputational damage.

Unfortunately, few tools on the market are designed specifically to monitor and manage cyber risk on a unified basis. Organizations have had to stitch together point solutions to get by. And in many cases, they lack data that is current, accurate, comprehensive, and contextual.

In addition, many organizations lack the ability to measure and compare corporate risk scores with industry peers; quickly take action after risk is scored; set goals for vulnerability remediation; and prioritize which areas to spend limited security resources on.

In order to build trust and gain better control of data, organizations need to leverage technology that gives them the ability to know how vulnerable their critical assets are, whether they are achieving their goals to improve security posture, how they measure up against industry peers; and what they should be doing to become more secure.

Ideally, technology tools should be able to provide organizations with real-time comparisons with industry peers in areas such as systems vulnerability, outstanding patches and lateral movement risk.

From a visibility standpoint, tools should identify vulnerability and compliance gaps across all endpoints used in an organization, enabling organizations to prioritize those issues that represent the highest risk, visualize complex relationships between assets and collect real-time feedback. They should be able to track each asset by collecting comprehensive data on all endpoints in real time.

In terms of control, security tools need to help organizations greatly reduce the attack surface by managing patches, software updates and configurations. Metrics should provide a clear sense of progress over time and indicate where improvements are needed.

From a trust perspective, tools should provide a single, accurate view of risks, enabling risk scoring and dashboards that give executives a clear sense of the level of risks and how they can be mitigated.

When it comes to ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations, IT and security leaders need to establish trust and control within their organizations’ environments. That’s the only way to demonstrate to regulators — as well as to customers, employees and business partners — that they are taking data privacy seriously and taking the necessary steps.

The most effective ways to be compliant and at the same time enhance data security are to gain greater visibility into the organization’s infrastructure, including every endpoint device, evaluate the effectiveness of security solutions and make needed improvements, and compare risk metrics with those of comparable organizations.

Assess the risk of your organization with the Tanium Risk Assessment. Your customized risk report will include your risk score, proposed implementation plan, how you compare to industry peers, and more.

Data Privacy

Posted on Posted in Digital transformation, General topics Tagged with , , , , ,

Doing good for the planet is not inversely proportional to doing good business. Today it can actually mean better profit, stronger customer loyalty, and longer company sustainability.

First, offices are finding paper less necessary than they used to. Recent surveys show a drop in paper consumption since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Work-from-home and remote offices have played a part in the drop, but even as employees reenter the office full-time or in a hybrid arrangement, paper consumption still isn’t at 2019 levels.

Second, it’s worth following the investors. According to a recent McKinsey report, global sustainable investment is more than $30 trillion, a tenfold increase from 2004. Global sustainable investment considers “ESG [environmental, social, and governance] factors in portfolio selection and management across seven strategies of sustainable or responsible investment.

“The acceleration has been driven by heightened social, governmental, and consumer attention on the broader impact of corporations, as well as by the investors and executives who realize that a strong ESG proposition can safeguard a company’s long-term success,” the report says, adding, “The magnitude of investment flow suggests that ESG is much more than a fad or a feel-good exercise.”

A Rockerfeller Asset Management / Stern NYU study found that “Improved financial performance due to ESG becomes more marked over longer time horizons.” ESG is discussed much more now, but the impact is well beyond just the moment.

Consider the Long Term

The long-term perspective is clearer when you consider how eco-friendly and digitized the world is already becoming. By 2030 the tech-raised Gen Z will comprise one out of every five people in the workforce. This same generation and even younger people are prioritizing ESG, from the products they buy to the companies in which they work.

In other words, the shift is already happening and likely will accelerate.

Fortunately, there is still time to give your company an information advantage: turning it into an organization that is connected, intelligent, and responsible.

Connected means updating systems to reflect a thoughtful approach to managing data by giving employees and customers access to the right information at the right time and in the right format. This, in turn, enables organizations to pivot to a paperless environment, eliminate redundancies that waste energy, or make another ESG-forward shift.

Intelligence builds on these connected systems. If information is flowing smoothly, it will be easier to notice other ESG dimensions such as diversity and longer-term environmental impact. As Harvard Business Review recently shared, “Metrics like ROI or IRR are generally broken. They miss sources of value and use a too-high discount rate, which makes any investment in the future look worthless…. Instead, find and internalize the data that proves the value of longer-term thinking.”

Finally, responsibility means understanding how your organization is creating solutions or exacerbating the problems. Climate innovators and other thoughtful leaders are integrating ESG-forward ethics and principles into their business models and finding that their revenue is increasing, not decreasing.

If you’re ready to make a bigger impact, use the OpenText™ climate innovator calculator today to learn how digitization can help you reach your ESG goals faster while gaining an information advantage over the competition.

Supply Chain

Posted on Posted in Digital transformation, General topics Tagged with , , , , , ,

Since the late 19th century, cash-operated vending machines and kiosks have been used to sell drinks, snacks, newspapers and much more. However, new digital technology is expanding how customers pay through these types of unattended commerce. Today’s consumers use mobile apps, wearables, and contactless cards to pay for food, groceries, parking, bike rentals and other goods and services. And businesses are meeting these customer demands by continuing to design creative ways to provide cashless unattended commerce to customers.

Customer experience is key

The entire landscape of unattended commerce is changing. For years,vending machines only took cash. This not only restricted payment options for consumers (who were out of luck if they had no bills or coins), it required someone to physically place cash in the machine, ensure it had enough change then collect the cash later – something along those lines. The cost of this type of routine maintenance may be avoided by installing a payment card or other digital payment options in vending machines.

Although unattended commerce can feel intimidating for retailers, there are some examples of how it’s being used for digital ordering.

An excellent example of innovative use of cashless unattended commerce comes from global pizza chain Little Caesars. Using a suite of payment and fraud management solutions from Cybersource, a Visa solution, the store’s payment platform enabled customers to order online or via a mobile app and pick up their pizza using a QR code at the brand’s exclusive Pizza Portal, a heated, self-service mobile order pickup station located in the lobby of each store. This endeavor required no interaction between people, making it particularly timely when it launched during the pandemic. The payment system can be tailored to suit preferred local payment methods, using Cybersource’s Global Payment Gateway, which secures payment data via a token management service. Customers quickly fell in love with this new digital ordering channel, and sales soared.

After seeing success with the Pizza Portal in the US and Canada, the global chain wanted to make these ecommerce tools available to their more than 850 stores abroad, which they manage from their headquarters in Detroit. Since no development ​is needed to add new local-market acquirers, Cybersource’s flexible Decision Manager fraud detection and prevention software was integrated globally, ensuring the customer experience was seamless and secure.

Digital payments offer huge opportunities for businesses. A software-first approach and open APIs mean they can now connect to partners and banks around the world.

Cybersource gives businesses a powerful and flexible cloud-based digital payments platform that serves the needs of consumers for convenience, options, and peace of mind.

Learn more about Cybersource here. 

IT Leadership, Mobile Payment

Posted on Posted in Digital transformation, General topics Tagged with , , , , ,

Altering your approach as a CIO is critical in leading digital transformation within healthcare organizations. The goal of healthcare digital transformation is to achieve clinical, financial, and operational strategic goals, but this journey is complex and requires the mobilization of technology, resources, processes, and talent.

Every aspect of what healthcare organizations do is affected by digital transformation – from enhancing the patient experience to making data-driven decisions and automating processes. With so much at stake, the CIO cannot go it alone.

Here are four steps for CIOs to focus on when they are leading digital transformation in healthcare:

Focus on the true meaning of a digital transformation journey for your healthcare organization

Too often, healthcare executives are seduced by cutting-edge technologies. Blockchain, virtual reality, and wearable gadgets may be popular now, but they aren’t the same as digitalization.

Instead, leaders must ensure their organizations avoid shiny objects. CIO must build consensus around a shared definition of digital transformation, focusing on the company’s ability to enhance clinical, financial, and operational performance.

Technology can revolutionize healthcare only if healthcare organizations take a thoughtful, patient-centered approach. This method emphasizes using technology to advance long-term strategic objectives such as providing services, entering new markets, and forming partnerships with other companies to create alliances and strengthen connections between patients.

Become the chief “impact” officer as the new CIO brand

Shift your attention away from “information” or “technology,” as these aren’t prerequisites for joining the digital revolution. While the CIO, CTO, CSO, CNIO, and CMIO are all likely to play essential roles in the digital transformation process, it affects every level and department of an organization.

Transformational progress necessitates the buy-in and engagement of executives across the company hierarchy. The new buzzword is impact; be the chief impact officer.

Create sustainable vs. quick wins

This isn’t a one-and-done project. It’s a complex, all-encompassing corporate plan that must be implemented as part of an overall business strategy and attitude.

Consider the impact of your strategy, sustainability, alignment, and other topics as the company goes through its plan. Consider these themes in each area while executing your strategy.

Sustainability – The transformation program aims to deliver stated business and clinical outcomes over the next one to three years to maintain them for seven years.

Alignment – Make sure your transformation initiative aligns with your company’s primary objectives and has measurable clinical, operational, and financial effects.

Enterprise-wide mentality shift

Culture can make or break your digital strategy. Here are two crucial foundational qualities needed for success:

Doing things differently – As a leader, encourage alternative solutions to problems by challenging the status quo. Every opportunity should be looked at in terms of how it may be improved, even if things are going well. Your teams will be able to copy your behavior when they see you driving change.

Make a decision – It’s a disadvantage to linger on making a final decision until you have all the information. Because transformation is new, and there may not be enough data elements to back up a decision. CIOs must be comfortable making an informed selection even if complete facts aren’t available. Remember: not making a decision is a decision.

Transformation in healthcare is a journey, not a destination. And it requires a new way of thinking for CIOs. You must focus on the meaning of digital transformation, become the chief impact officer, make sustainable wins vs. quick ones, and shift the enterprise-wide mentality. With these steps, digital transformation can be a success. 

Digital Transformation, Healthcare Industry