When the pandemic hit, I don’t think any function within organisations both big and small had to move so fast and so far as the corporate cybersecurity team.
With businesses and their workforce having to quickly make the double whammy shift to remote working and serving their customers through digital channels; the demand for digital capabilities, products, tools and services led to immense pressure on the cybersecurity teams to not just keep things running, but also protecting the business, staff and supply chain at the same time.
It’s not been easy.
Early on we all accepted an increased level of risk just to get the job done. A lot of systems that ‘just worked’ were stood up to support the new legion of remote workers that now need to be patched or integrated into existing protocols. Delivering a frictionless experience for clients and customers in the new digital reality has demanded new systems and developing training programmes in those systems to keep business flowing smoothly.
Ensuring a joint ‘cyber-resilience’ within the supply chain, protecting contractors and trusted suppliers from outside attacks which could in turn leave the organisation vulnerable has had to be bumped up the priority list.
And the attacks are coming thick and fast.
There has been a reported 7x increase in DDoS and spear-phishing attacks since the lockdown began. Threat actors looking to exploit potential breaches in insecure devices and networks are having a heyday. They are even exploiting the fear and insecurity that the pandemic has caused and are using social engineering to prey on the concerns of the workforce. Google reported more than 18 million malware and phishing emails related to Covid 19 on its service each day in April. They also identified more than a dozen government-backed groups using pandemic related themes for these attempts.
But cyber teams have risen to the occasion.
Pretty much everywhere, cybersecurity teams and consultants have helped businesses adapt and thrive by understanding the new, critical threats to you, your clients and your supply chain; and by helping organisations find new ways to solve new problems and deliver increased value to your customers on a daily basis. And that’s the point. Your cybersecurity team is no longer a peripheral support service. It is core to the survival and growth of your business.
Not only has the crisis demanded a new understanding and respect for the importance of cybersecurity, the cyber team has been able to develop a unique window onto your business, it’s capabilities and the opportunities that the new world presents. All of which means that they are uniquely positioned to help you shape the future of your enterprise.
So let them help you shape it.
Bring them onboard early. Make them aware of any plans you might have so that they can plan for them proactively and not just rely on knee jerk reactions. Better still, listen to their ideas. Your cyber team can help you identify new opportunities that add value to your organisation, your people, and your customers with minimal security risk. They can help you set the agenda for change, and that means setting the agenda for recovery and growth
It’s time to welcome cybersecurity to the top table.
Cybersecurity and digital transformation is just one facet of driving the next stage of growth for businesses post pandemic.
At UNIT_ we have developed the Post Covid-19 Business Growth programme designed to help you strengthen your internal culture, protect productivity and recover faster.