Futures Design & Product Workshop – Security at IBM Z/LinuxONE

Client:
IBM

Project Date:
November 2020

Objectives:
Understand, anticipate, and prepare for future security requirements and threats for the IBM Z platform, leveraging a futures-thinking approach to ensure long-term robustness and competitiveness.

Situation & Tasks:
In an age of rapidly evolving digital threats, IBM aimed to solidify the reputation of IBM Z as the premier secure platform. To maintain this standing, IBM needed a forward-looking strategy to identify potential challenges and opportunities in the realm of cybersecurity over the next decade.

Actions:

• Market and Security Landscape Analysis: Conducted extensive research on emerging security threats, innovations, and regulatory changes, gathering data to inform workshop discussions.

• Stakeholder Identification: Assembled a diverse group of internal stakeholders, including product managers, security experts, and futurists, to bring multifaceted perspectives to the table.

• Workshop Design and Facilitation: Created a dynamic workshop environment that encouraged open dialogue, creativity, and futures thinking. The workshop involved scenario planning, role-playing, and brainstorming sessions, allowing participants to explore various future security landscapes.

• Scenario Development: Leveraged insights from the workshop to craft potential future scenarios for digital security, highlighting challenges and opportunities for IBM Z.

• Strategy Formulation: Translated the insights from the workshop and scenarios into actionable strategies to bolster the security infrastructure of IBM Z, addressing both immediate and long-term needs.

• Post-Workshop Documentation: Consolidated workshop findings, expert opinions, and future strategies into a comprehensive report to guide IBM Z's security development roadmap.

• Implementation Blueprint: Developed a detailed action plan to prioritize and implement the key strategic decisions derived from the workshop, ensuring alignment with IBM Z's overarching business objectives.

Results:
Successfully identified pivotal security trends, threats, and opportunities, positioning IBM Z to proactively adapt to the evolving cybersecurity landscape. The strategies and insights derived from the workshop are expected to shape the platform's security features and policies, ensuring IBM Z remains at the forefront of enterprise-level cybersecurity.