Regardless of what business you are in, holistic cybersecurity is deemed to be an integral part of a company's digitalization. With cyber-attacks increasing at a rapid pace and the average cost of a data breach reaching 3.98 US dollars (2019) from 3.86 US dollars (2018), most companies have taken up the smart strategy of protecting themselves through a bend of technology tools and processes.
However, there are still quite a few organizations that are ever reliant over some set of flashy security tools. These companies, although it may seem secure, are, in fact, still quite vulnerable to threats and security breaches.
Albeit cybersecurity programs relying upon security tools are indeed effective, but a program based over a blend of organization, human factors, and culture, along with security, is known to be effective.
In short, to achieve a robust cybersecurity status, it is crucial for cybersecurity programs to cover all aspects there are to an organization such as people and processes along with multi-layered security tools and other technology.
Why Technology As Standalone Not Enough?
Cybersecurity is too great of a risk to ignore or treat with sidelines. With data breaches costing high and causing long-lasting stain over an organization's reputation, most companies have cyber protection on their radar.
However, to achieve this goal, they mostly equip themselves with state-of-art robust cybersecurity tools which promise to offer excellent security. Albeit, this is a path down the right direction but a path that ends with a nasty fall.
Primarily as smart hackers take their time and manage to break past these tools through various techniques while using proximity to an organization or human psychology as a tool.
Additionally, they can also opt for using social engineering or merely playing out insiders of an organization to go through a hack attack.
Holistic Cybersecurity A Solution?
Companies with a more spread out view to cybersecurity, involving the integration of people and processes along with technology, are successful at attenuating and remedying cybersecurity than those who don't. Primarily as a broadened angle at security covers most vulnerabilities present online.
As this approach takes every relevant factor about the detection and prevention of cyberattacks, into consideration, it is bound to leave organizations considerably secure.
Therefore the only way to achieve a robust security system is through proper multi-tiered security, secure practices along with education and awareness, not to mention having a shared concept towards attaining security.
The following are the main factors over which the holistic approach to cybersecurity relies upon:
1. Technology A Necessity
Technology is undoubtedly a core part of a security infrastructure. However, just having a secure tool is not the answer enough. It is crucial to properly integrate the tool within the cybersecurity architecture of an organization to allow its proper working.
Additionally, most companies in reaction to growing cybersecurity threats arm themselves with various cybersecurity tools, which results in them getting overwhelmed.
Creating a frenzy in managing multiple cybersecurity tools results in an organization growing vulnerable. Primarily in the quest to use them all none of the tools is fully optimized to provide the protection it is designed for.
Therefore, as technology is essential, it is only useful in conditions of proper integration in a system, along with having a multitude of technological solutions to achieve an end to end cybersecurity.
2. Role "People" Play
As an organization is based upon the people working within it, holistic cybersecurity recognizes their importance along with cultural and social factors. Cybersecurity is a field that revolves mainly around human psychology and behavior.
It the human behavior that can very well fill in security flaws; therefore, it is essential to recognize how people can be the strongest or the weakest block of a cybersecurity infrastructure.
This ranges from having skilled IT professionals within the company hat ensure proper integration of cybersecurity tools and ensures the proper working of a system through penetration tests and various other methods.
Along with having a dedicated trained team, it is also crucial to educate the staff over cyberattacks, primarily as most frequent phishing attacks occur through naive employees who fall into traps of opening malicious attachments or emails.
3. Most Attacks Happen On The Inside
Insider threats in light of the danger they cause come on par with external threats. Primarily as an insider, being someone who has remote access to every asset within the company can get a hold of vulnerabilities present within and exploit them.
At times these insider threats may be a discontented employee who deliberately wants to bring harm to the company. He may do so in any way possible either by selling sensitive information for monetary advantages or destroying valuable resources.
In such cases, close analysis and monitoring of psychology and behavioral patterns of employees can do the trick. Moreover, these insider threats can often be unpremeditated actors who fall prey to cyberattacks, let it be social engineering tactics or phishing methods.
These scenarios rely on unaware employees, lack of attention, or a distracted human mind, which results in sensitive information, passwords, or other backup devices landing in the hacker's lap
4. Instilling The Sense Of Security As A Shared Responsibility
Cyber Risks within an industry can be massively brought down by instilling a sense of cybersecurity as a shared responsibility. As cybersecurity is primarily human-centric, encouraging employees to follow procedures can significantly increase security.
Additionally, by making the employees aware of their role in keeping an organization secure, can instill a sense of responsibility and insecurity within them and improve the cybersecurity posture of an organization.
Also, it is upon the management within an organization to promote a culture of openness, so employees don't become hesitant in reporting cybercrimes.
5. Growth And Collaboration
Cyber Attacks continue to evolve and grow. Therefore, the organization should always stay dedicatedly in search of more advanced methods of security. A holistic approach to cybersecurity involves learning from colleagues and industries to build up a defense and response against cybercrime.
Conclusion
The best way to achieve a capable cybersecurity infrastructure is based on a holistic approach to cybersecurity. A concept based upon a balanced and integrated use of technology, people, and processes is the ultimate defensive approach against the complex cybersecurity challenges occurring in the modern world.
