BIG THREATS
Te exposure of every
organisation is unique. So,
it is difcult to generalise.
However, we can think of
threats at the national level
that would impact every life
science organisation in one
way or another.
A biosecurity incident
with national security
implications would be
catastrophic. If you
remember the policy
implications of the 2001
Anthrax incident, then it is
not hard to imagine what the
policy implications would be
of a biosecurity incident with
roots in emerging
technologies to manipulate
DNA. Te industry as a
whole could face a major
public relations crisis that
would dramatically change
the perception of these new
technologies. We could
end up in a very
diferent regulatory
environment that would
hinder the development of
the bioeconomy.
Compromising
manufacturing capacity.
Incidents afecting industrial
infrastructures are likely
expensive because of the scale
of manufacturing operations.
In many scenarios
recommissioning a
compromised infrastructure
may take months. Tis can
have signifcant disruption on
the availability of life-saving
drugs for instance.
Loss of competitive
advantage and thef of
intellectual property is also a
source of concern. Te
biotechnology supply chain is
getting more global. In many
cases the choice of vendors
and business partners is
driven by short-term cost
reduction without always
considering the
consequences of these choices
on long-term competitiveness.
KEY ACTIONS
Acknowledge the
evolving security
landscape of the life sciences.
Analysing risks is not
pleasant because nobody
likes to discuss their
vulnerabilities. However, the
discomfort of risk analysis is
nothing compared to
managing the crisis of a
security breach.
Education and
awareness throughout
the organisation are essential.
Analysing the risk should not
be the exclusive responsibility
of the scientists working in
the lab. Tis cannot happen
without a strong mandate
from the board of directors
and executives. It is also
important to involve non-
technical parts of the
organisations like
procurement, IT, and
risk management.
Implementing a
security policy is ofen
regarded as an annoyance
that hinders productivity and
negatively impacts an
organisation’s proftability. It
is therefore important to
thoroughly understand the
economics of the risks to
prioritise risk management
policies. Eforts should focus
frst on inexpensive policies
that will positively impact the
bottom line. It is essential to
the sustainability of the efort.
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