Traditionally, cybersecurity has been seen as being the responsibility of a company’s IT department. It is certainly true that many data protection measures do require a fair degree of technical and digital competence, hence the delegation of the role to the IT team. However, a breach in the security system can potentially impact the entire organization and everyone who is a part of it. Read the main reasons why cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility.
The Biggest Risk Factor – People
No matter how strong of a cybersecurity infrastructure you have in place, you cannot eliminate the biggest risk factor when it comes to digital vulnerability – people themselves.
Clicking and downloading a file from an unverified email, unintentionally giving away confidential details to a third party, or connecting infected drives to the company’s network – these are all things that are people-related and can only be best prevented by educating everyone involved with your organization.
Limitations of Technology
Enterprise cybersecurity solutions are certainly powerful tools that help safeguard your valuable data from threats. However, they have their limitations.
First, cybercriminals are always trying to discover exploits within security software that can allow them to breach through their defenses. To prevention of this, cybersecurity companies are constantly updating their software system. However, there is always the risk of an exploit going unnoticed or the installed software not being updated which can leave your digital infrastructure vulnerable.
Second, there are some attacks that even today’s software tools are not capable of addressing. One of them is called ‘Vishing’. It is a form of an attack in which criminals, disguised as legitimate businesses, use the telephone in an attempt to scam an individual into surrendering confidential information.
Lastly, cyber-attacks are also becoming more sophisticated. No longer are they purely technical, instead they make use of multiple vectors in a bid to compromise your data security. Many attacks are often indirect, first affecting a less-secure system before using it as a vector to spread throughout your network.
Implementing a Strong Cyber Security Culture
A shift towards a more robust cybersecurity culture is the call of the day. Change starts at the top. While the IT department may define cybersecurity policies and procedures to follow, it is the job of the upper management to have them communicated and implemented effectively to the rest of the organization.
It is also essential that your organization holds regular training on cybersecurity for all your employees to ensure that they are equipped with the latest knowledge and best practices to minimize their vulnerabilities to cybercrime.
Given the nature of modern-day cyber crimes and the limitation of digital security tools, it is important to get everyone on board when it comes to maintaining cybersecurity. While data protection may be an explicit job for some of your employees, everyone carries a stake in it and thus, a role in its responsibility.
