As our world becomes more connected, people and organizations must be able to rely on the security of data and systems. Cybersecurity is and will continue to be one of the most important issues in the digital age. We recognize that our digital transformation will only succeed with a collaborative approach to building digital trust and making concrete recommendations that companies and governments can put in place to improve security.

This is why IBM became a founding member of the Charter of Trust. In 2018 IBM teamed up with 16 global companies to commit to 10 shared principles of data security and, more importantly, to provide tangible solutions to data security. Signing the Charter was just the first step.

Working in collaboration with government, we will continuously innovate and adapt cybersecurity measures in response to new threats. As a part of the Charter of Trust Road Show, IBM this week hosted a forum on the second principle of the Charter, securing the digital supply chain. We were honored to hear a keynote address from Christopher Krebs, Under Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security’s National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD).

“Securing the digital supply chain is fundamental to improving cybersecurity for both government and private industry. Supply chain threats can have ripple effects across sectors, affecting both our economy and national security. The Charter of Trust represents the type of collaboration needed to combat these threats. DHS is committed to working in partnership with government and industry to improve our collective defense against a range of cybersecurity threats,” Krebs said.

With consumer trust and national security interests at stake, the Charter of Trust is advancing confidentiality, authenticity, integrity, and availability throughout the supply chain. When it comes to the digital supply chain specifically, companies have to work together. The weakest link in the chain defines its overall success.

Today’s event was a reflection on the strong public-private partnership that is necessary to secure our digital world. We look forward to welcoming new and committed partners to continue our collaborative efforts to build trust.

Perspectives from the Road Show:

“The Charter of Trust is engaging in each of the G7 countries over the next 9 months to educate policy makers in governments and build more awareness. Much of the cybersecurity imperative is not only about technology but about people and good governance. It is crucial to garner trust amongst government, citizens, and business to collaborate – and then promote confidence in this new digital era.”
– Chris Padilla, Vice President, IBM Government and Regulatory Affairs

“Digitalization offers enormous promise – to uncover insights, optimize operations and generate new revenue streams. This is especially true in industrial IoT, which has been slow to undertake this journey but where arguably the opportunity is the greatest. Yet, companies are skittish of the digital transformation due to the increased threat of cyberattack. Digitalization and cyber, in our view, are two sides of the same coin. This is why we joined together to form the Charter of Trust – to create an ecosystem of partners that share a common vision, adhere to common standards and work together to solve the most difficult cybersecurity challenges.”
– Leo Simonovich, VP and Global Head, Industrial and Digital Cyber, Siemens

“The importance of a resilient, secure and adaptable cyber value chain has never been greater. The Charter of Trust is bringing together likeminded organizations to comprehensively address the growing challenge of protecting the core of our cyber infrastructure—the people, the technology, the processes—that forms the basis of the operations of the digital society in which we live and work today.”
– Edna Conway, Chief Security Officer, Global Value Chain at Cisco

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