Choose Your Battles
We have all heard the cyber professional warn that a cyber breach is a matter of when, not if. But how can you put that warning into terms that make sense for your business? You need to evaluate the likelihood of a breach against the corresponding business impact. That means you need to determine what parts of your business are most valuable and perhaps, most vulnerable. It wouldn't be cost effective to budget cyber security into every department. Instead, focus on the most valuable parts of your business. Determine what assets must be protected most and invest your time and expertise accordingly. Amend existing security procedure and create new protocols so you can protect your most valued assets first.
Run it like you own it
This may sound counter-intuitive because you probably feel like you don't own your security breaches. But let's pretend you do for a moment. cyber security is a part of your business, so analyze it as such. Budget how much it will take to combat the issue, how many employees, how much contract work and how much in service charges. Treat cyber security like it's part of your day-to-day, and you won't let fear of a breach drain your emotional energy or your funds. Instead, you'll have a more measured, ongoing assessment that can provide accurate insights to this part of your business.
Create a management model
Cyber security should be properly integrated into your business, and that means creating a useful management model to update on a regular basis. Integrate cyber security into top executives' goals, motivations and resource allocation. You will also need to inform stakeholders of the risks involved as well as keep your company aware that cyber security is linked to your investments and risk migration.
Keep up your defenses
Even the most sophisticated system has a point of weakness. Technologies change, cyber criminals get savvy and systems fail. But you can combat these types of attacks by adapting a model that constantly updates your defenses. You can do so by considering ways to innovate rather than overspending on technology updates. Accept that cyber security is a systematic business issue that needs ongoing funding to address new issues as they arise. Don't let it paralyze you so you're not innovating. Work the problem from the top down.
Build it into the culture
Integration is key when it comes to cyber security. Make it part of the daily conversation and build awareness that this is an issue you intend to tackle head on. Avoid referring to the situation as just a “tech” problem; rather, define it as a business risk like any other that might affect your company. One of the biggest ways to fight cyber fatigue is through training employees how to deal with it. If you can train your employees not to click that link, or to think about what could go wrong, it could be a better use of your security budget. Make the issue a strategic priority, and it'll naturally become part of the company's culture.