In the not so distant past, cyber-security was somewhat compartmentalized. A company might want to protect its database of account numbers from unauthorized access, or protect its local network of desktop computers from virus infections. In those days the account database was probably separate from the network, so these were two independent security tasks.

Today the cyber environment has become far more interconnected, not just within the enterprise but between companies, their business partners, and their customers. This interconnectedness means that some of the most damaging security breaches never make the news. Firms have seen crucial new technologies turn up overseas within weeks of being launched.

At Harvard Business Review, James Kaplan and Allen Weinberg ask three cyber-security questions covering three sectors of the business environment:

• How do you secure customer transactions without driving off customers due to perceived inconvenience?
• How do you protect intellectual property during development without stifling collaboration?
• How do you get partners to protect your data while maintaining an efficient supply chain?

All of these questions are about maintaining balance. They are also about the limits of control. We know how to make customer transactions highly secure. But if customers perceive the interface as clunky they'll go somewhere else, where transactions are more convenient. Even if they are also less secure.

Likewise, it is hard enough to keep your own employees from accidentally sending critical development information to the wrong recipient. It is even harder to keep partners' employees from doing so.