Dealing with cyber-threat: a complex challenge

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By AMSAT Aug 28,2020

Dealing with cyber-threat: a complex challenge

Across the globe, organizations in various sectors, both public and private, now openly recognize that cyber-attacks are one of the most widespread and gravest risks they encounter.

Given the risks organizations around the world face with regard to the security of their data, dealing with cyber-threat has become a complex challenge. Much of the existing focus is on security and compliance, as companies – subject to growing amounts of legislative, corporate and regulatory requirements – prove they are handling and securing information appropriately.

Since the information security landscape is constantly evolving, private and public sector organizations find it hard to believe they could be a target for cyber-attacks. This approach needs to change, as it’s best to be proactive rather than reactive. At the same time, relying on defense is no longer viable, as the threat actor bent on wreaking harm to an organization will be unrelenting in their objective. This results in public and private sector organizations getting to know what is going on around them so that they can recognize when an attack has occurred or when an attack is on the cards. Intelligence and the intuition that it brings is at the core of next generation of information security.

The importance of cybersecurity

Why should security figure at the top of every organization’s top priority list? Why should senior management of every small and large organization be concerned about cybersecurity?

The answer: The digital world in which business is conducted is susceptible and prone to being attacked. Digitization brings with it boundless opportunities for innovation. It still has a long way to go before becoming a fully protected system that is set to control and regulate itself. Decision-makers ought to ensure that all systems in their company abide by the latest high-security protocols. Employees, particularly not so tech-savvy, must also be competent in basic cyber-security etiquettes. For example, everyone needs to know how to recognize a phishing email and how to isolate it, while informing the proper authority, both internal and external.

Without the right security strategy, you might be in for an irreparable damage for your organization. Even with the sturdiest controls in place, an organization would do well to bank on those controls to be tested. Threat attackers know how to find weak spots and take advantage of them, opening holes up that bring down robust systems. The solution lies in being offensive rather than defensive, and practicing the essential security tasks that will keep most of the threats at bay.

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