The cybersecurity skills shortage has been written and talked about for several years, and the problem continues to get worse, as millions of cybersecurity positions worldwide remain vacant. And, according to (ISC2), one of the top associations for information security leaders, women make up only 24% of the cybersecurity workforce.
For many years, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) were measured against an impossible objective: 100% breach prevention. Thankfully, many today understand there is no such thing as 100% protection against breaches. This has changed how CISO effectiveness is gauged: from breach prevention to incident response and resilience.
The number of worldwide cyberattacks is on the rise, and organizations with a global footprint face a relentless wave of attacks by motivated “threat actors.” These actors can be organized multinational criminals, nation states, cyber-activists (known as “hacktivists”) or company insiders. And, their activities can damage a company’s reputation, disrupt its business, and impose financial penalties through regulatory violations and remediation costs.
We were all thrown a curveball earlier this year, and as security professionals we remained calm, demonstrated leadership/ownership, and helped get our companies to where we are today: operational in a semi-state of lockdown with no clear path or time frame out of this environment. We, as security leaders, are still constantly talking about operating in the current state of “crisis mode” and what the future – or the “new normal” might look like; but I urge leaders in our industry to think a bit about the shorter-term. We need to anticipate what is coming down the pike now - and not just focus on “getting back to normal.”
ISMA is publishing this op-ed from an anonymous member representing a multi-national company in the manufacturing sector.
COVID-19 has profoundly changed the way we live, work, and provide security. So, what's the new normal for corporate security? I see increasing reliance on technology, remote working environments, clear communication, and good corporate citizenship. Pre-COVID-19, a majority of our US security teams worked within corporate office space, while our international security team experienced a hybrid-work environment using both home and in-office work. As we know in our profession, security is not a 9 to 5 job. We deal with life-safety emergencies 24x7 and have adapted to remote working environments outside of brick and mortar offices. COVID-19 has forced many businesses and organizations to work remotely as well, and they are learning to leverage technology to maintain business operations.
The events of the last 3 months have undoubtedly affected and changed life for most of us. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on families and has been a wrecking ball for businesses and countries alike; supply chains broken, health services stretched to the limit, businesses mothballed and employees furloughed.There will come a time when we emerge from this chrysalis state. There will be a time when we will return to our offices, resume business and recover from this global event. Possibly not returning in the same manner as we did before, but we will ‘rise’ again. In doing so, we will adapt new ways of working, revise existing strategies, and embrace new technologies all the while ensuring that the health and well being of our employees and customers are paramount.
