Why Life Sciences Needs The Science Of Security

By Alok Tayi, Ph.D.

Those who have worked in the life sciences industry have undoubtedly observed a sea of change in the discipline over the past twenty years. From new modalities (like CAR-T to microbiome) to external collaborations, the way drugs are developed in the 21st century is more complex, more distributed, and faster. Alongside fundamentally new discoveries is a pan-industry shift from on-premise computing to the cloud. As this disruption occurs, the nuances of the life sciences industry results in a unique set of challenges as it pertains to security.

Data security is a serious topic that has reached public visibility on a near-daily basis. The life sciences industry, like other industries, is similarly concerned about data security and exposure of their data to malicious actors. A greater issue is one of intellectual property; as biopharmaceutical companies develop new treatments to disease, unplanned publication of their findings prior to patenting could result in substantial financial loss. Given the complexities that arise when securing data in drug development and developing software that facilitates common workflows, ensuring best-of-breed security simultaneously is the key to success.