IT security challenge "constantly evolving", says Pearson CTO

Keeping corporate data and IT estate secure is a constantly evolving challenge that major companies simply have to live with and respond to, according to Pearson’s Chief Technology Officer of operations Graham Calder.

Speaking at the BMC Exchange in Twickenham, UK, Calder said, “Companies have to face up to the IT security challenge. The key thing is how early an IT vulnerability is identified and how fast a company moves to remove the vulnerability.”

Recent high profile IT breaches from TalkTalk to Ashley Madison, Target to T-Mobile, have created consumer anxiety.

“As an education provider operating in over 70 markets, Pearson's data security challenge is among the biggest in the business. Every time there is a hack or virus attack in the news, for e.g. the recent heartbleed virus episode, we get customers ringing to check how secure their data is,” the Pearson CTO said.

“Furthermore, national education authorities demand their respective data does not leave the country (for e.g. UK education). No single service provider can meet that need, so that adds another, albeit manageable, challenge.”

Calder also said when it comes to cyber attacks, Pearson is not alone in maintaining a policy of not “if but when” and is working towards minimising its response time with a 1,400 strong resolver team.