In this episode of The Vertali Podcast, host Ed Nell is joined by James Loftus, Technical Delivery Manager at Vertali, for a deep dive into one of the most overlooked areas of enterprise cybersecurity, mainframe compliance, risk, and audit.
James brings more than three decades of experience across mainframe operations, IT security, auditing, and technical delivery. He draws on that experience to explain why the mainframe can no longer be left in the corner to simply get on with things.
Key Takeaways
The mainframe is no longer a siloed box, and that changes everything.
It now connects to Windows machines, Unix systems, web interfaces, and databases around the world. What was once contained is now exposed, and the conversation around compliance and risk must catch up.
Regulation is growing faster than most organizations can track.
From Sarbanes-Oxley to PCI DSS, HIPAA, and individual US state-level compliance requirements, the number of frameworks is increasing, and they are not all the same. Getting caught out can result in a fine of up to 4% of revenue—not simply a slap on the wrist.
Being compliant and being secure are not the same thing.
Frameworks provide a baseline and nothing more. If your environment requires stronger controls than the framework specifies, you apply them. Falling below the baseline is worse than not having a framework at all.
Most organizations are reactive, not proactive—and it shows.
Investment in mainframe security tends to be triggered by an incident, an audit finding, or a near miss. By that point, the question of how long the vulnerability has existed is usually uncomfortable to answer.
Key Moments
“It’s your crown jewels, for want of a better word. You need to protect that as much as you can.”
“Don’t be famous for the wrong reasons.”
“Be proactive. Don’t rely on something bad happening.”
About The Vertali Podcast
The Vertali Podcast explores the world of cybersecurity and how businesses can protect their most valuable assets. From cutting-edge technologies and the latest cybersecurity trends to practical insights on securing critical infrastructure, each episode brings expert knowledge and real-world experience to help organizations stay ahead of evolving threats and build resilient systems.
How to Get in Touch
To learn more about Vertali or schedule a consultation:
Website: https://vertali.com/
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