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I often hear from folks that in general, small and medium-sized businesses lack a strategy and proper controls, but the big guys have it covered. Well, it might surprise you to learn that 30% of large enterprises state they still lack an overall information security strategy – and we’re talking huge, $25+ billion companies. Overall, 44% of enterprises report they lack a fundamental strategy. I’ll tell you from experience that most companies overestimate their cyber readiness, which means that the real numbers are likely much, much higher than the reported ones.

This blog is kicking off a series on a topic that many of you likely think about quite often: Why is it so hard to protect your organization’s information? This is a fair question, and one I’ve thought about often. To understand the answer, we’ll need to peel back a few layers and understand the root challenge.

Our national Cybersecurity Practice engages in thousands of customer conversations each year, and a few themes consistently emerge as primary concerns. The information security industry is plagued with confusion, complexity, and challenge, to the point that 30% of enterprises worth over $25 billion report that they do not have an overall information security strategy—and that number is substantially worse for the typical organization. Keep in mind that this simply refers to an information security strategy. It does not factor in the ability to implement that strategy, or whether the strategy is comprehensive or effective. Worse, most organizations overestimate their cyber preparedness, and factors like the global workforce shortage, security start-up sprawl, and cloud confusion are stymieing the effective implementation of information security strategies.

In the first and second parts of this blog series, we shared the importance of focusing on the basics in cybersecurity and shared some tips for how to get started. Let’s wrap up by sharing some additional considerations you should address as you get started on your path to a more secure enterprise.

This blog was co-authored by Windsor Tanner, Vice President Solution Sales, Americas, NICE.

In the first part of this blog series, we shared the importance of taking a step back and ensuring that your cybersecurity program addresses the basics before moving forward with “shiny new objects” like advanced analytics and machine learning. In this part, we will share some tips to help you build that strong foundation for your cybersecurity program.

If you aren't doing the cybersecurity basics, then it’s time to take a step back.

Last week, I wrote about the first five steps to creating a culture capable of effectively defending against modern threats. This week, I'll take you through the next five steps. Let’s dive right in.

The best defense against modern cybersecurity threats is not based on technology at all. While there’s currently a great deal of focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), good-ole human intelligence is the secret ingredient. To effectively prevent your organization from falling victim to cyber attacks, it’s essential that your employees develop strong cyber instincts. We constantly coach customers on the idea that the strongest firewall you can own is a resilient, human firewall. The statistics are staggering: spear phishing accounts for 95% of enterprise network attacks, according to the SANS Institute.