To achieve a safer cyber ecosystem, organisations must embrace synergy, information sharing and full disclosures of attacks.
Cybersecurity has become a top concern for every industry and it impacts organisations of all sizes and has ramifications in all departments.
Speaking on the issue, Country head, HP Nigeria, Emmanuel Asika, said many will hate to admit it, but it seems that, perhaps, it has become quite lucrative these days to be a cybercriminal.
Asika stated that “firstly, it is a thriving business. For instance, according to the FBI, there was a 207 per cent increase in in reported case of cybercrime reports between 2008 and 2021, and almost $7 billion (N3.223 billion) in losses last year. In Nigeria, the peril of cybercrimes recorded a massive rise in the first six months of 2022, with phishing and scams hitting 174 per cent.
“According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) well over 2,800 persons were convicted of cybercrimes in the country last year, and the Consumer Awareness and Financial Enlightenment Initiative (CAFEI) has projected a $6 trillion loss by 2030 to cybercrime within and outside Nigeria.”
He noted that “worse still, it has become increasingly easier than ever before for these hackers to work together in a specialised and concerted secretive supply chain. They have built fortes, proposing unique services like hiring of huge botnets to convey a customer’s preferred malware to thousands of targets, or hackers-for-hire who take full advantage of the destruction caused by ransomware – spreading an invasion of weak points in a network.
“The result of all these is that workers in scattered workplaces around the globe are now in more danger than ever before. The unclear distinction between private and work devices means that hybrid staff are not always shielded by enterprise defenses, thus the risk of attacks is always there.
“But there is a way out, and it lies with the employees who are usually the first line of defense, and they must work together. With computer crime now a part of how we do business, and growing, the only way to beat criminals is collaborating with one another to defend ourselves.”
How Security Teams Can Foster Collaboration
Recognising the need for collaboration is just the first step.
Involve All Stakeholders Early: Cybersecurity leaders can begin by involving more stakeholders in security decisions in the planning phase. Create a panel of representatives from each department to discuss security strategies together. Be sure to allow everyone to voice their unique concerns and questions.
Emphasise Communication; Consistent and clear communication is another key to more collaborative cybersecurity. Encourage employees in all departments to voice suggestions or ask questions. Consider creating an electronic form submission system to consolidate and streamline this input.
Remove Workflow Silos: Siloed workflows are another common barrier to collaboration to address. You can remove these silos by using common tools. Different departments should use the same platforms to manage their workflows or at least use interoperable systems to foster faster communication and data sharing. Some of these barriers may be organisational, not technical. Setting up regular meetings where stakeholders from different departments can collaborate and requiring input from multiple parts of the business can help.
Capitalise On Automation; Collaboration is also easiest when everyone has less on their individual plates. Robotic process automation (RPA) is one of the most effective solutions here.
Take A Top-Down Approach: Remember, teamwork requires buy-in at all levels to work. You can encourage that by leading by example. Department heads should reach out to other employees and talk to other teams first to set the standard for communication and teamwork.
It will take time for everyone to get used to a collaborative approach to cybersecurity. Starting by fostering these relationships in management will prove most effective. Teamwork will trickle down naturally if leaders start emphasising collaboration in their workflows first.
