The online world seems to become more complex by the day. As more and more applications are moved to the cloud, the growing number and severity of data breaches makes it clear that attitudes about cybersecurity must change. It’s no longer possible to assume that “someone else” is going to be responsible. Instead, data protection and a strong cybersecurity defense must be a team effort.
How have cybersecurity roles changed over the last decade?
Ten years ago, cybersecurity was the responsibility of IT. Organizations were guarded by firewalls, antivirus companies were keeping up with basic malware and the world seemed to be (relatively) safe. The IT manager was responsible for cybersecurity, and in the event of a breach, wipe and restore from back-up was the preferred course of action. When breaches started happening more frequently, we were startled. Too bad we weren’t shocked enough to change our bad habits! Too many of us still clicked on every link, and opened every attachment.
By 2015, as more and more vulnerabilities were unveiled, and as knowledge about how easy it is to orchestrate automated large-scale attacks spread, ransomware became a real issue. In response, cybersecurity vaulted to the top of the priority list at most organizations. The internet of things (IoT) has changed the way work gets done, and it has forced organizations to adapt and change the way they secure data.
Now, in 2019, cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility. Data is the most important resource on earth, and one mistake by a single employee can endanger an entire company. Employees have become targets for phishing and social engineering, with the C-suite heading up the priority list for cybercriminals.