Cybersecurity: 5 Basic Lessons for Everyone

It should come as no surprise that cybersecurity is one of the most talked-about topics in technology today. In a world where nearly everything is moving to the cloud, our businesses—and lives—are becoming more and more digitized. Yet, while most view cybersecurity as something directly connected to business needs, we want to explore a new perspective–one that views cybersecurity as a goal in and of itself. As it stands now, it seems that too many organizations are missing the mark. Here are five basic lessons everyone should know when developing and implementing a cybersecurity plan.

Lesson 1: Start with the business (and its risks).
Security is nothing more than reducing or taking away risks, making them visible so that the business can accept them and continue doing its work. To do this as effectively and efficiently as possible, security professionals have to understand the business. This means first identifying, mapping, and categorizing the risks of the specific business. Then, the security organization and business have to collaborate to determine which risks need to be dealt with and in which order. Finally, the person responsible for the security within the company has to set up a security plan that describes how these changes are to be executed. In doing so, there must be clear goals and deadlines.

Lesson 2: Develop a step-by-step security roadmap with clear goals.
Defining your security approach (or security roadmap) is essential and should be discussed with business leaders on an ongoing basis. During the creation and execution of the roadmap, the projects that are defined will all contribute to the reduction of risks and the achievement of the end goal. The creation of a plan should be something that everyone, even without IT skills, can understand.

Lesson 3: Cover the basics before implementing more advanced security solutions.
Companies need to create basic security solutions for simple risks first before they turn their attention to more advanced technologies. Of course, advanced technologies are important, as well, and should be implemented in the future, but only after the basics are fortified.

Lesson 4: Build the right partnerships–cooperation between IT Security professionals is essential.
The sense of building something together is exactly what needs to happen in the security world. We need to start with the owner (the business) and the foundation (the roadmap), and then forge relationships with the right contractors (ESET/security vendors). Only then can a strong, reliable and safe house be built.

Lesson 5: Get everyone involved–it’s the only road to success.
To make progress between security and the business, there has to be understanding and support from the business–and vice versa. The one(s) responsible for security have to be able to provide short and clear explanations in order to get the company stakeholders participating. If he or she can’t, then the business (and the board) will never understand, and there won’t be the necessary buy-in and support to implement your plans (no matter how good they may be).

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