Reliable software and encrypted networks provide some measure of defense for organizations that have made the leap to a fully digital business model, but their efficacy depends on good maintenance, regular oversight, and a company-wide understanding of best operating practices.
A true commitment to secure operation therefore requires having the right personnel in place to handle IT-related issues, train the remaining staff on how to handle sensitive data, and supervise their activity to ensure that they are effectively following these procedures. Such training should use down-to-earth language to allow everyone to understand the basic principles behind each process – and why they are important.
IT personnel will have additional tasks to worry about, such as the smooth running of the business in all its technical aspects, but the entire organization must be willing to defer to them on matters related to data handling. The security guards of today’s economy, in other words, are more likely to focus their attention on unlocked networks than unlocked doors.
It is worth stressing that for any reasonably well designed computer system, the weakest link in its security profile is likely to be the ordinary people who use that system on a daily basis. Passwords can be revealed carelessly to outsiders, hidden malware can record keystrokes, fake websites can appear authentic at first glance, but then capture login details as they are entered.
Comprehensive training is therefore essential, and a culture of best IT practices must be endorsed and encouraged by those in leadership positions. Companies should invest in hiring the right people, setting up all new computer systems properly and professionally, and increasing the confidence and ability of all staff members in relation to the new systems they will need to operate.
A wider understanding of cybersecurity issues on a macroeconomic level can also help companies prepare in advance for any unanticipated delays or disruptions that occur elsewhere in the economy. Businesses can minimize inconveniences that would otherwise indirectly affect them, by planning for alternate sourcing of key resources in case of need.
Modern approaches to risk management must therefore play a role in the organizational structure of any security-conscious business. Each person also needs to be aware of their own responsibilities as they relate to cybersecurity. A digitally-based organization can be considered secure only when the entire team has a clear understanding of what to do, why they must do it, and what kinds of dangers to look out for. Only through such a system can potential threats be evaluated, predicted, identified, and dealt with before they are able to cause damage.
Best practices for data protection must be adopted by all personnel within the organization. In a very real sense, everyone with a password to log onto the company network essentially has a key to the front door of the company itself. The IT manager should take special care to isolate departments from each other within internal networks, so that a potential data leak in one area is unlikely to affect data elsewhere, but any breach at all can represent a real threat to the smooth operation of the business. For a company to succeed, therefore, cybersecurity must be everybody’s responsibility – and not merely a concern for the IT department.
