Cybersecurity, more than just being about tools, is about people. People can, on the one hand, be a weak link in your company’s cybersecurity chain. On the other hand, if they understand the importance of cybersecurity to your organization, as well as what it means for them personally, they can be an asset. Read on to learn more about making cybersecurity a business decision as well as part of your company culture,

The Why of Cybersecurity

The need for cybersecurity seems clear, doesn’t it? Cyberattacks are growing in frequency and complexity, with threats like ransomware and the phishing emails that can introduce ransomware into your system. Add to this the possibility of security incidents that can threaten your company’s bottom line and reputation. Compliance with data protection regulations like CMMC and HIPAA needs to be part of your cybersecurity plan, too, in order to keep from having to pay fines and from losing trust. These reasons may seem abstract to the average employee; if your company has best practices, and workers are following these practices, they may not understand clearly why they are doing so. 

Establishing a Culture of Cybersecurity

If executives and managers understand the importance of cybersecurity (the “why”) they can set the tone for the entire company. Knowing that the entire company values cybersecurity and understands what it takes to make it part of the culture can motivate everyone to participate. Showing every employee that it benefits them may be the key to winning hearts and minds. What is it your employees want? For example, some may want to be efficient and not worry about downtime. Others may especially want the peace of mind of knowing their own employee data is secure. Once everyone is clear about the “why”, your company can move on to specifics of tools and training. 

The Role of Tools

Once everyone understands the overarching reasons for cybersecurity, your company can then decide which tools to use. Managed detection and response (MDR) and extended detection and response (XDR). Extended detection and response is a more comprehensive, efficient way to protect your network, since it integrates detection, investigation and response capabilities over a wide range of domains–endpoints, cloud applications and workloads, and data stores. Automation enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) can gather information from many different sources, and even stop a cyber attack in its tracks. What’s more, these tools can be a part of your compliance picture should you decide to purchase cybersecurity insurance.

Do You Need Cyber Insurance?

Do you? Perhaps so. Cyber insurers’ requirements, while strict, can correspond with protections a company may already have in place. For instance, insurance companies assume you’ve already assessed risks and have an incident response plan to address them. Doing so suggests a proactive stance, as does instituting common-sense precautions like multi-factor authentication for everyone in the organization, including for privileged accounts. Depending on needs, cyber insurance may be a good fit for your company.

The cybersecurity puzzle can be complex, but having a plan can help you with compliance, incident response and cyber insurance requirements. For additional assistance, contact your trusted technology advisor today.