TECH TALK

Evolving security and compliance

While mainframes are inherently secure, with layers of protection in place, they are not immune to risks from evolving external cyberattacks or insider threats.

Fortunately, the mainframe is a highly adaptable environment that is well suited for continuous improvement to security through things like secure host access, multi-factor authentication, and code vulnerability scanning to keep the platform, its applications, and its data safe. As IT complexity grows, mainframe security risks – like privileged access abuse, API exploitation and hybrid ransomware – need to be addressed, especially in light of compliance requirements intensifying across industries and geographies.

According to Forrester, 41 % of IT leaders cite security and compliance as their top concerns when pursuing modernisation. From DORA to the EU AI Act, security and compliance have become the cornerstones of all modernisation projects – and the mainframe is often at the centre, even if organisations don’ t immediately realise it.

It is critical that companies are able to innovate while remaining compliant and secure in their day-to-day operations. The stability of a modernised mainframe is critical to an organisation’ s cyber resilience and keeping valuable systems, data and applications safe.

Opportunities for hybrid cloud

Mainframe systems have been continuously updated through the years, with the IBM z17 being the latest example, making them an ideal ecosystem for integration with emerging technologies like opensource and hybrid cloud solutions. Hybrid cloud strategies present an opportunity for organisations to accelerate modernisation by extending

the reliability and performance of their mainframe systems, rather than abandoning them.

Contrary to the misconception that they are expensive to maintain, many mainframe systems actually offer a lower total cost of ownership( TCO) compared to other systems. The centralised architecture allows for efficient resource utilisation, reducing both operational costs and energy consumption.

Often labelled as the“ best of both worlds”, going hybrid with mainframe and cloud allows enterprises to modernise incrementally by moving data and workloads between systems as needed, enabling them to unlock new efficiencies while continuing to reap the benefits of the platforms they trust.

Ultimately, the goal of any modernisation project is to take what’ s working and make it better. It’ s a strategic series of decisions guided by business needs, compliance standards, and risk management. Organisations cannot afford to be left behind, but that does not mean that they have to completely abandon decades of mainframe investment in order to embrace emerging technologies like the cloud.

Projects wrap up but innovation is never finished. The organisations that learn to navigate evolution with strategic consideration are the ones who will see long-term success and real ROI on their IT investments. �

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