Risk as it Applies to Complexity, Informatics and Cybernetics

By Michael C. Redmond       https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/michaelredmond2018/

In an ever-changing global landscape both offline and online, this article sheds insight on risk at it pertains to complexity, informatics and cybernetics. Cybercrime has far reaching impact on not just corporations, businesses and individuals, but also society as a whole. Since an exponentially increasing number of businesses and government sectors are increasingly becoming information-centric and reliant on communication technologies and networking in the context of the cyber-space, it's important to contemplate risk management as it applies to complexity, informatics and cybergenetics. Complexity can be defined as the components between the parts, the fulcrum as it were. Infomatics is designing  and building systems that are effective and easy to use, the information architecture necessary to store and access repositories of information vital for today's business age.

Cybernetics seeks to develop general theories of communication within today's increasingly highly complex systems. It involves the abstract and often formal mathematical nature of its objectives. Cyberentics involves the following: learning, cognition, adaptation, social control, emergence, convergence, communication, efficiency, efficacy, and connectivity. Cybernetics takes as its domain the design or discovery and application of principles of regulation and communication. Cybernetics treats not things but ways of behaving. It does not ask "what is this thing?" but "what does it do?" and "what can it do?"

Due to the increasing concern of security vulnerabilities, cyber attacks and cyber espionage, organizations need to take the necessary steps to build up cyber security resilience. It's crucial for complex security systems to be embedded within enterprise architectures and organizational systems, which, in turn are also complex systems. These internal and external complexities need multi-disciplinary teams with skills for inter-disciplinary communication in order to handle the emerging problems in today's fast moving information age. Organizations are essentially vulnerable to one huge cyber breach which could in fact determine its ability to merely survive or thrive. Information and Cyber Security systems are both cause and effect of integrative processes. In most cases, real time problem solving and fast decision making on the spot is required. Research, education and learning on the fly is necessary to ensure systems stay in proper working operation in both private and public sectors. Organizations need to stay up to date with advances, core problems, solutions and potential innovations in the areas of information and cyber security through awareness research, educational, commercial and governmental perspectives.

Awareness of the risks relating to Complexity, Informatics and Cybernetics helps promote and foster inter-disciplinary communication and interactions among complex systems for effective and efficient performance for when things work according to plan or when problems occur. Consequently as we alluded to earlier, there is an increasing concern regarding information security vulnerabilities and cyber security resilience, especially with respect to cyber-espionage, cyber-attacks and cyber-wars, cyber-crimes, and so on, risk as it applies to Complexity, Informatics and Cybernetics is an ongoing contemplation. Organizations in the public and private sector need to be fully aware of the nuances and the inner workings of complex systems in today's fast paced digital,information age.

About the Author

Michael C. Redmond,  EFPR Group Director, Lead Strategic Consultant and Auditor

Her consulting and auditing experiences includes Cyber/Information Security, Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, Risk Management, Emergency Management, Asset Managment and ISO for clients in the Healthcare, Insurance, Financial and Manufacturing sectors. She has held executive management positions at Deloitte, KPMG, Chubb Services and Redmond Worldwide.

Michael spent four years on active duty with the U.S. Army and an additional 17 years in the National Guard and Reserves. Her assignments include Company Executive Officer, Public Relations Officer and Company Commander. She retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Michael has three books being published in 2018; one on Cyber Security, the second on Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery and the third on Mastering Work Life Balance.

Contact Michael if you have consulting or audit needs. Anywhere in the world is fine!