Why Can’t Organizations Be 100% Secure?
Md Mofijul H.
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It is well-known that the number of cyberattacks has steadily increased over the past decade. Because of this, businesses are devoting more money to security measures than ever before. Spending on cybersecurity worldwide is expected to grow by 13.2 percent in 2023, according to research firm Canalys. While it is essential for businesses to invest in strengthening their security, cyber attacks may and will happen even if an organization has an infinite security budget, the most advanced technology, and highly skilled security personnel.
While it is essential for businesses to invest in shoring up their security, cyber attacks may and will happen even if an organization has an infinite security budget, the most advanced technology, and highly skilled security personnel.
Security policies have evolved as a result of the widespread acceptance of the concept that complete safety is impossible. Instead of trying to stop every possible attack, many organizations look for a middle ground between proactive security and crisis management. The current priority is to show that measures are being taken to decrease risks to an acceptable level and to lessen the effects of an attack if one occurs.
This article delves into the main reasons why a company can never be 100% safe, as well as how to evaluate the success of a security program beyond simply the absence of threats.
1. Human Error
Human beings are both an organization's greatest strength and its biggest weakness; 82% of data breaches are caused by human error. Many factors contribute to this conclusion. Cognitive biases, ego, internal and external influences, faith in technology to keep people safe, apathy, dismissing it as not their responsibility, preoccupation with more pressing matters, and a lack of time to give a damn all contribute to this problem. and the items keep coming. Understanding human behavior, whether malicious (on purpose) or careless (unintentionally), is crucial to the security of any system.
Many businesses have made security a top priority in recent years, and as a result, there is a greater availability of cybersecurity education and tools than ever before. Yet, human nature always wins out, and people are easily tricked by elaborate schemes. People will still fall for scams even if they receive regular security training and are required to follow all company policies and procedures. The ones that are too good to be true will be exposed. But, there comes a time when you realize you've exhausted all options. Someone will unlock ransomware tomorrow using a method that the best security experts haven't even considered.
Organizations often prioritize security over usability. The tighter the security measures, the more probable it is that people will find ways around them. To ensure complete safety, turn off all power to your systems so that malicious actors or careless humans cannot gain access. Naturally, systems with such a high level of security aren't particularly practical. Businesses must strike a balance between security and usability to keep their users from getting in the way of their job and from finding ways to bypass their safeguards.
Curiosity is innate to the human condition. Because that's just how humans operate. Both of these qualities work against us when it comes to safety and security. When sent a spreadsheet listing executive pay, for instance, most people's natural inclination is to look within. The thought that someone is out to get you is not normally one's initial reaction. Aware of this, threat actors will continue to exploit human psychology.
A lot of businesses have workers who are aware of the hazards they present as users and the significance of security. Yet, many individuals place an excessive amount of faith in security systems and depend on them to handle all types of threats. Although technology can mitigate some of the effects of exposure to external threats, it cannot eliminate them entirely. Protection measures are in place to lessen the likelihood of harm occurring and to make it less likely that people will fall for scams. Despite the maturity of their technology, users must realize they play a critical part in preserving security.
2. Highly-trained, professional terrorists
Another reason why enterprises may never feel completely safe is because threat actors have grown much more sophisticated over the past few years. In comparison to a single business's security team, threat actors have a significant financial, technological, motivational, and synergy edge. There are a variety of tactics a company can utilize, but ultimately, it must face the fact that it will not always succeed. Even if you manage to win a lot of battles, threat actors just need to win once to accomplish their goals.
3. Third-party risks are nearly impossible to manage.
Third-party integration entails adding their own network nodes, which may or may not have been educated to your specifications, thereby expanding your existing workforce. Some businesses work with tens of thousands of vendors. The question is, how can you control risk on such a massive scale? Sending a questionnaire to these businesses, waiting for a response, and then following up are the usual tactics for managing risks associated with third parties. How long would it take for your small staff of two or three to sift through thousands of these?
Some businesses opt to take the chance on their big number of suppliers while focusing on their top 5-10 largest third parties with the most access. While this does help to reduce some dangers, it ignores the fact that it is frequently the smaller and medium-sized businesses that pose the greatest threats. It's not uncommon for these businesses to lack adequate metrics with which to evaluate their security efforts.
Categorizing the safety measures in place.
Since there is no such thing as complete safety online, using the absence of cyber attacks as a metric of security is flawed.
The maturity of an organization is a key factor in determining how successful a security program has been. Coverage metrics like the percentage of computers with anti-malware software, how often employees get security training, and how often users take part in simulated phishing attacks will be more important for startups and other organizations with less developed security systems. Without enough coverage, the quality of an organization's other efforts is irrelevant. With good coverage, they can assess their situation and make decisions accordingly.
As a company develops, its measures will become increasingly relevant to the business at large. Mature businesses may look at metrics like mean time to detect (MTTD), mean time to respond (MTTR), dwell time, and the cost-benefit analysis of their security program. Is it worth it, for instance, to spend $25 million on security? Would an extra million dollars spent on security have prevented an attack with a million dollar price tag?
You can't measure everything, and sometimes there isn't an answer to the questions you want to ask when trying to assess the efficacy of your security measures. A company's security program maturity level is a good indicator of what to measure, and as the program develops, so may the company's metrics. Security metrics should tell a story, both in the here and now and over time, and they should be measured and presented in a meaningful way.
Security is a never-ending journey.
Each company must determine its own level of risk tolerance relative to others in its field, the sensitivity of the data at stake, and the expectations of the data's owner. Security is never fully achieved; rather, it is a never-ending process of decreasing vulnerability. Companies need to identify their greatest points of exposure, take both proactive and reactive steps to mitigate the associated risks, and regularly assess the efficacy of these actions.