Georg Hess is a serial entrepreneur with a diploma in physics and a PhD in mathematics. He co-founded two software companies in Germany and led them as CEO through several rounds of venture capital financing to a successful acquisition by large US-based corporations. He has a proven track record of positioning and repositioning innovative tech start-ups in regional and global markets and of rapidly growing organisational structures. He spent over 10 years in the IT security industry and currently focuses on all aspects of cyber security, in a particular implementation of ‘zero trust’ architectures.
Publications
Part 4
Digitalisation has dramatically broadened both the surface of attack and the potential means of an attack: most of today’s physical assets, such as TVs, cars or even nuclear plants, already have digital components or functions and can thus be both the target or part of a digital attack. Examples include the famous Stuxnet worm that targeted the programmable logic controllers of Iranian centrifuges to finally sabotage Iran´s nuclear programme. The IoT adds a new dimension: on 21 October 2016, a massive Internet attack was launched via hacked IoT devices like closed-circuit video cameras and digital video recorders. It is certainly fair to say that, in the digital age, IT security needs to be at the centre of the enterprise’s overall security strategy.
Part 4
Successful businesses rely on a variety of ecosystems of trusted partners, such as suppliers and resellers, to create compelling offers to their end customers. These ecosystems often have established eligibility criteria and compliance requirements that each partner has to fulfil to become ‘part of the game’. As an example, if a vendor of automotive parts wants to be listed as an official supplier to a car manufacturer, it not only has to pass quality assurance for its parts, it also has to comply with other requirements, such as standards regarding governance and sustainability. Conversely, if a consumer buys a new car, he or she relies on the car manufacturer having carefully selected quality parts, fitted the parts correctly and built the car according to current standards.
