According to a Gartner study in 2018, the global Cybersecurity market is estimated to be as big as US$170.4 billion by 2022. The rapid growth in cybersecurity market is boosted by new technological initiatives like cloud-based applications and workloads that require security beyond the traditional data centres,
the internet of things devices, and data protection mandates like EU’s GDPR.
Cybersecurity, at its core, is protecting information and systems from cyberthreats that come in many forms like ransomware, malware, phishing attacks and exploit kits. Technological advancements have unfortunately opened as many opportunities to cybercriminals as it has for the authorities. These negative elements are now capable of launching sophisticated cyberattacks at a reduced cost. Therefore, it becomes imperative for organizations across all industries to incorporate latest technologies to stay ahead of the cybercriminals.
Table of Contents:
- What is the cybersecurity scenario around the world?
- Driving Management Awareness towards Cybersecurity
- Preparing Cybersecurity Workforce
- Cybersecurity Awareness for Other Employees
- Conclusion
What is the cybersecurity scenario around the world?
Even as there has been a steady increase in cyberattacks, according to the
2018 Global State of Information Security Survey from PwC: 44% companies across the world do not have an overall information security strategy, 48% executives said they do not have an employee security awareness training program, and 54% said they do not have an incident response process.
So, where does the problem lie?
Many boards still see it as an IT problem.
Matt Olsen, Co-Founder and President of Business Development and Strategy, IronNet Cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity
The greater responsibility of building a resilient cybersecurity of an organization lies with its leaders. There is a need to eliminate the stigma of ‘risk of doing business lies solely with the technology leaders of an organization. Oversight and proactive risk management must come under CEO focus. According to the National Association of Corporate Directors' 2016-2017 surveys of public and private company directors, very few leaders felt confident about their security against cyberattacks, perhaps due to their lack of involvement into the subject.
Driving Management Awareness towards Cybersecurity
• Gain buy-in by mapping security initiatives back to business objectives and explaining security in ways that speak to the business
• Update management about your current activities pertaining to the security initiatives taken, recent news about breaches and resolve any doubts.
• Illustrate the security maturity of your organization by using audit findings along with industry benchmarks such as BSIMM to show management how your organization fares and how you plan to improve, given their support.
• Running awareness program for your management regarding spear-phishing, ransomware and other hacking campaigns that aim for executives and teach how to avoid them.
The bottom line is that leaders can seize the opportunity now to take meaningful actions designed to bolster the resilience of their organizations, withstand disruptive cyber threats and build a secure digital society.
The bottom line is that leaders can seize the opportunity now to take meaningful actions designed to bolster the resilience of their organizations, withstand disruptive cyber threats and build a secure digital society..
Pwc
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Preparing Cybersecurity Workforce
Hackers are able to find 75% of the vulnerabilities within the application layer. Thus, developers have an important role to play in the cybersecurity of an organization and are responsible for the security of their systems. Training in secure coding is the best way to raise their cybersecurity awareness levels.
Raising Cybersecurity Awareness in Developers:
• Training developers to code from the attackers’ point of view, using specific snippets from your own apps.
• Explain in-depth about vulnerabilities found by calling remedial sessions.
• Find ways to make secure coding easier on developers, like integrating security testing and resources into their workflow and early in the SDLC/
• Seek feedback from developers on how your security policies fit into their workflow and find ways to improve.
Cybersecurity Awareness for Other Employees
According to the Online Trust Alliance’s 2016 Data Protection and Breach Readiness Guide,
employees cause about 30% of data breaches. Employees are the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain. But that can be changed by creating awareness and educating them on the risks surrounding equipment, passwords, social media, the latest social engineering ploys, and communications and collaboration tools. Make standard security tasks part of their everyday routine, including updating antivirus software and privacy settings, and taking steps as simple as covering cameras when they end a video conference call.
Conclusion:
The technological advancements are moving faster than anF-16, so the measure are by no means exhaustive. The important thing is to keep pace with numerous cybersecurity measures to not fall prey to a cyberattack. Every organizational level plays an important role in achieving a matured security infrastructure, thus making awareness and participation mandatory.
Organizations should consider a natively integrated,
automated security platform specifically designed to provide consistent, prevention-based protection for endpoints, data centers, networks, public and private clouds, and software-as-a-service environments
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