Ransomware is a prevalent threat today. Cybersecurity is a must for organizations of any size. Just in the last few months, we’ve seen cyberattacks of unprecedented scale and audacity.
The attack on information technology firm SolarWinds went undiscovered for months and resulted in security breaches in the U.S. government. A short while later, Colonial Pipeline paid a steep ransom in millions of dollars in Bitcoins to be able to resume operations after a week-long shutdown of service.
Cyberattacks do not discriminate
These attacks only prove that no one is safe — not governments, not utilities, and not even tech companies. The pressing question is: What can be done? Widespread remote work may likely have weakened cybersecurity defenses, but cybercrime did not start last year and is unlikely to stop anytime soon.
As more and more organizations embrace digital transformation, everyday operations need higher levels of protection, and everyone, regardless of department or job function or level of responsibility, needs to understand the vital importance of cybersecurity in their organization’s success.
Everyone’s responsible, not just IT
There are two types of organizations: those that know they’ve been attacked and those who do not yet know they’ve been attacked. For any sizable organization, a cyberattack is not a matter of “if” but of “when.” To put it simply, mitigating cybercrime is an ongoing part of business operations and cyber vigilance should be on every employee’s mind, not just the IT team’s.
Cybersecurity keeps everyone on their toes because cybercriminals improvise their methods as quickly as IT departments devise their defenses.
Build a culture of cybersecurity
A strong and cohesive organizational culture can make a tangible difference in keeping everyone cyber safe.
If you are wondering how to enshrine the importance of cybersecurity in your organizational culture, we have some suggestions for you.
Encourage everyone to share knowledge and openly discuss any issues or concerns that colleagues may have about cybersecurity. You could talk about what you see in the news. You can even share that you participated in a cybersecurity education webinar.
Bring issues out in the open and discuss them. This will help you figure out how to manage them yourselves.
Come back stronger
In some ways, a transitional time like now gives business leaders a great opportunity to chart a new course for their operations. Those who prioritize cybersecurity are more likely to see their organizations flourish regardless of whether their workforce is fully remote or co-located or somewhere in between.
Closing thoughts
Humans can be the weakest link in an organization’s cyberdefense, but given the tools of information, education, and communication, they can also be its strongest defenders. The more confident we are in understanding our enemy, the more control we have over our safety.
