According to the 2020 Verizon DBIR, (Data Breach Investigations Report) there were 3,950 confirmed breaches in 2020. The onset of the COVID pandemic resulted in a drastic increase in exploitable vulnerabilities, phishing attempts, ransomware campaigns, and remote compromise attempts. Nevertheless, an estimated 40% of organizations did not have a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that leveraged technical and non-technical controls to secure their networks and assets and promote cyber-hygiene best practices amongst their workforces. At the 2020 ICIT Fall Briefing, ICIT Executive Director Joyce Hunter moderated a panel featuring leading CISO’s perspectives on how to best cultivate and propagate a holistic cybersecurity culture throughout an organization. They concluded:
- Cybersecurity Remains a “People Problem”
- Business Drives Cyber, But Education Ensures Adoption
- Gamification Improves Engagement and Retention
- Engaging Peoples’ Senses Increases Retention
- Breaks Allow People to Refocus, Recoup, and Retain
- Technology Can Be Leveraged to Do What People Can’t
