Think of Netflix without its vast library of on-demand content. Imagine Target, devoid of the shiny red registers that line the front wall of each store. You can’t. Across every industry, organizations are no longer separate from the digital systems that keep the credits rolling and shelves stocked. Yet at the same time, many leaders believe there’s never been a more unpredictable time in modern history — and that the threats to those digital systems have never been greater. To stay resilient against disruptions and unpredictable events, organizations have embraced a digital service mindset to keep their systems secure and reliable, and effectively deliver the experiences their stakeholders want and expect.

A digital service is an online function or capability that fulfills a need for a customer, a digital partner, citizen or internal consumer. Common digital services include centralized inventories, customer account management and payment processing.