You look for the right car, you want the best clothes, and you shop for the most advanced smartphone you can get. So why is it that Information Technology teams are having such a problem finding the right security resources for their organizations?
Results of the seventh (ISC)² Global Information Security Workforce Study (GISWS) conducted by Frost & Sullivan forecast a shortfall in cybersecurity professionals of 1.5 million by 2020. According to the study, “this number is compounded by 45 percent of hiring managers reporting that they are struggling to support additional hiring needs and 62 percent of respondents reporting that their organizations have too few information security professionals.”
Cybercrime is now a $445 billion business and the average company handles 200,000 security events per day, according to the Harvard Business Review. So, while cybercriminals are becoming increasingly more organized and aggressive, organizations defending against these attacks are struggling to fill their ranks.
Is this how organizations will continue to cope with cybersecurity problems—continue to just “get by” and hope that the “big one” doesn’t happen to them? Based on these statistics, you may be saying to yourself, “I’ve probably been breached already anyway, so why bother?”
But there is another proactive and easily adaptable approach to this dilemma. Look to the managed technology and cybersecurity services companies who can offer you and your organization peace of mind, as well as immediate relief to your biggest risks, by protecting your organization’s employees, data, systems and access.
The 2016 IBM Cost of Data Breach Study reveals that the average consolidated total cost of each data breach is $3.8 million, representing a 23% increase since 2013. The new 2017 IBM study states, “the average size of the data breaches in this research increased 1.8 percent to more than 24,000 records.”
It’s clear that every organization, large or small, needs resources to establish and manage a strong and sustainable security program. These resources could potentially come from the internal IT or Risk team, or more likely, from an external partnership with a Managed Technology or Cybersecurity provider. Looking for the right fit with a cybersecurity or technology services company doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated. Here’s the qualities we recommend when looking for a cybersecurity partner:
- Ability to share their experience and current awareness of the threat landscape
- Attain visibility into your current security position
- Ability to relate or map log documented activities to suspicious or known malicious behaviors
- Deliver professional service offerings that can integrate with your security program or other security products
- Act as a hub for security expertise
- Have the capability to work with multiple platforms and multiple technologies
- Provide a well-balanced and diversified approach to building your security program
- Provide insight to development into policies, processes and procedures as needed
- Have capabilities that allow you to build a sustainable partnership
For the end state, utilizing a cybersecurity partner will significantly improve your organization’s access to cybersecurity capabilities and will remove limitations on knowledge transfer, while enhancing the value you derive from secure operations.
To learn more about IGI’s cybersecurity services and solutions, visit our site or contact us today.
