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Book your assessment nowWhy focusing on Cyber security is not optional
Your business is under attack right now. With data breaches averaging $4.45 million in damages, discover the 3 critical questions every CEO must ask their security team today - before it's too late.
For years, cyber security has been treated as a technical responsibility, handled almost exclusively by IT teams. But the reality today is far different. Maintaining good Cyber security governance is now a business priority.
The consequences of a cyber attack go beyond systems and software. They impact customers, investors, brand reputation, and even a company's ability to operate. When core business functions, revenue streams, or trust are on the line, the responsibility naturally shifts to the top.
Why boards are feeling the heat
In every industry, execs, like you, are reporting a general increased anxiety around cyber security. Not always because of an imminent risk, but because of one dangerous unknown:
“We don’t know how secure we really are.”
And that fear spreads through organisations like wildfire. Boards are increasingly expected to protect shareholder value and ensure business continuity, but many leaders feel they lack the tools and information to properly evaluate cyber risk.
Even large enterprises with dedicated cyber security teams and significant IT budgets are vulnerable. Ransomware attacks are becoming more frequent, more targeted, and more sophisticated.
But here’s the truth of the matter: Cyber security is not just a technology issue, it’s a business risk issue.
When a cyber security incident occurs, the fallout can lead to:
- Financial losses: From ransom payments, system outages, or fines.
- Operational disruption: Affecting service delivery or critical infrastructure.
- Legal liabilities: Especially with customer or employee data breaches.
- Reputational damage: Loss of trust can be long-lasting and hard to rebuild.
- Regulatory scrutiny: Non-compliance with standards like GDPR or ISO 27001 can lead to penalties.
This means you must take a proactive role in cyber security governance.
Your involvement needs to go beyond surface-level engagement and include a deliberate focus on several key areas.
First, you must be equipped to ask the right questions about your organisation’s risk exposure and how this risk is mitigated. Carry out regular risk assessments to maintain a current understanding of potential - and any new since last review - vulnerabilities.
Look to develop a clear understanding of your organisation’s incident response plan. If you don't have one, fix that as your first priority. Then review how it might operate in practice to determine how prepared your team is to execute effectively.
Align your cyber security strategy with the organisation’s broader business objectives. Treating security as a siloed IT issue will make it hard to respond to, and resolve, issues. Integrate the strategy into the fabric of strategic decision-making.
To support this alignment and foster meaningful dialogue, there are several important questions that every executive and board member should be asking their security or IT teams.
These include: What are our most critical assets, and how are they protected? How quickly can we detect and respond to a breach? What are the biggest gaps in our current cyber security strategy?
Moving from fear to readiness
You don’t need to become cyber security experts. But you do need a strong grasp of the potential risks and how they might impact your ability to operate.
A proactive, well-informed approach to cybersecurity allows you to:
- React faster to incidents
- Minimise damage
- Maintain customer trust
- Meet regulatory requirements
- Protect revenue and long-term value
In other words, good cyber security makes good business sense.
In summary
Cyber threats will only get more sophisticated and difficult to spot. You can no longer leave cyber security just to IT because the risks and attack points are simply too vast. Today, every boardroom and C-suite needs to treat cyber risk as seriously as financial or legal risk.
When business leaders get involved, ask the right questions, and support their teams with the right resources and priorities, the entire organisation becomes more secure.