Multinational companies are embracing the important role emergency response and disaster preparedness plays in a business.

The number and severity of recent high-profile payment card data breaches have driven home the fact that security must be at the forefront of companies. Companies must continue improving security practices to protect the data of those that have entrusted it to them. Many merchants and service providers are struggling with the increased complexity and cost of compliance.

Risk is inherent in life. As it is the antithesis of security, we naturally strive to eliminate risk. As worthy as that goal is, however, we learn with each experience that complete security is never possible. Even if it were possible to eliminate all risk, the cost of achieving that total risk avoidance would have to be compared against the cost of the possible losses resulting from having accepted rather than having eliminated risk. The results of such an analysis could include pragmatic decisions as to whether achieving risk avoidance at such cost was reasonable. Applying reason in choosing how much risk we can accept and, hence, how much security we can afford is risk management.