We live in a digital society
If businesses are to grow they need to embrace new information technologies. Technologies that have been designed to facilitate an interconnected world have largely prioritised cost and user convenience over security considerations. Malicious and criminal users target this gap to exploit, identify vulnerability and attack organisations and individuals.
Cyber attacks are growing more frequent, sophisticated and damaging when they succeed hitting both the public and private sectors. It is imperative that businesses and Governments around the world understand the threats they face. The business requires a strong digital foundation to maximise opportunity and manage risk. They have a responsibility to safeguard the assets which they hold, maintain the services they provide, and incorporate the appropriate level of security into the products they sell.
Cyber is not solely concerned with faceless criminal groups, ‘script kiddies’, or hostile nation states. The UK National Cyber Security Strategy highlights that insider threat remains a cyber risk to organisations, web presence and their IT infrastructure. Malicious employees who have access to critical systems and data pose the greatest threat. They can and do cause significant financial, reputational, and destructive cyber damage to an organisation.
Businesses and organisations must understand that, if they are the victim of a cyber attack, they are liable for the consequences. Those who fail to act effectively against cyber threats will be outpaced in their ability to protect against it.
