DIY cybersecurity vs outsourcing? Which way should you jump?
As cybercrime continues on its dramatic upwards trajectory, addressing cybersecurity risks and challenges remains a pressing consideration for every CISO. No one is exempt. Businesses and organisations of all sizes must commit to protecting their data or face disaster – one way or another.
We’re often asked what we think is the best way to protect businesses – and at what point DIY cybersecurity stops becoming a viable option. We say it depends on several factors, but full disclosure here – cybercrime is at such a level that we would only rarely suggest keeping it in-house.
With 54% of companies saying their IT departments lack the sophistication to handle advanced cyberattacks, and 68% of business leaders feeling their cybersecurity risks are increasing, DIY cybersecurity has become increasingly difficult to manage effectively without the right resources, strategy, or budget.
The number of unfilled cybersecurity jobs worldwide grew 350% between 2013 and 2021. That is, from 1 million to 3.5 million. And it’s predicted that by 2026, the same number of jobs will still be open. Resources are at an all-time low, and salaries are at an all-time high, meaning few small or medium businesses can afford cybersecurity specialists (if they can even attract them).
If this isn’t a problem, then count yourself lucky and then ask your specialist/s if they can single-handedly manage all of your cyber security requirements. And as cybercriminals never sleep, neither can they. They need the capability and capacity to implement, manage, and maintain an ongoing programme of monitoring, patching, penetration testing and more – all while staying on top of the latest trends and developing new strategies.
If it is a problem, then consider engaging a partner who offers a range of cybersecurity managed services to meet your requirements. This way, you’ll not only have skilled resources with on-the-ground experience and multiple internally recognised certifications on tap but the latest monitoring tools and platforms to detect, mitigate and even pre-empt attacks. And as they do nothing but cybersecurity, there are no distractions – they are 100% focused on your safety.
Additionally, as cybercrime increases, so do the number of regulations designed to protect the data you gather and retain, and the penalties for breaches are high. The compliance needed to make your business secure is often complex. It requires specialist expertise and knowledge to manage and drive an improved security posture.
That’s not to say you’re bulletproof just because you use cybersecurity-managed services. It may sound like a cop-out – but data breaches are always possible (especially as 82% of data breaches are attributable to human error within an organisation). However, a dedicated cybersecurity partner has the tools and experience to respond, mitigate, and remediate the impact of an attack on your business – around the clock, year in, year out. Like cyber criminals, we never sleep.