If it were easy to avoid cybersecurity incidents like data breaches and ransomware attacks, most organizations happily would apply whatever the solution and protect the sensitive information in their care. Unfortunately, no solution to protect data from all attacks exists, and it is unlikely that such a solution can be developed. When one form of attack is thwarted, attackers develop new forms of attack. An attacker only has to succeed once to gain access to an organization’s data, but an organization trying to protect its data needs to beat every attack 365 days every year. Inevitably, at some point in time, an attacker will find a way to beat an organization’s best efforts to protect its data.
A significant cybersecurity incident is a tipping point. An organization that is facing a significant cybersecurity incident may never be the same again. This situation creates an opportunity to weather the storm well, which may enhance the organization’s reputation because its good character is highly visible. If handled poorly, however, the cybersecurity incident may damage the organization’s reputation.
