In the first installment of our series on cyber resilience, we discussed what being a resilient organization means. In this installment, we'll explore why organizations need to consider how to become resilient, who's responsible for achieving this, and the processes organizations must have to prioritize actions and effectively spend their budgets.

With the widespread use of AI technology, numerous AI models gather and process vast amounts of data, much of which comprises personal information utilized to offer personalized experiences. However, this abundance of data poses inherent risks, particularly in terms of privacy and security.

From more broad laws like GDPR to industry-specific regulations like HIPAA, most organizations today must comply with some kind of data protection guideline. Some businesses may even have to comply with numerous data protection regulations. As such, compliance with data protection regulations has become increasingly complicated.

With cybersecurity, the digital battlegrounds stretch across the vast expanse of the internet. On the one side, we have increasingly sophisticated and cunning adversaries. On the other, skilled cybersecurity practitioners who are desperate to protect their companies’ assets at all costs. One fundamental truth rings clear: it’s an ongoing and relentless battle of wits.

In 1971, Ray Tomlison developed the first email service while working at The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This development changed how we communicated. However, even though this was an exceptional tool, it was not very user-friendly, requiring users to have specific software installed on their computers. In 1996, Sabeer Bhatia founded Hotmail, making it the first web-based email messaging service. Exactly one year after Microsoft acquired Hotmail, I opened my first email account.

Supply chain attacks are a serious and growing threat to businesses across all industries. However, these attacks pose an even greater risk for manufacturers in critical infrastructure sectors. One pernicious form of supply chain attack is spoofing, where attackers impersonate legitimate suppliers to sneak malicious code or components into products. Research shows that 2023 had the highest number (2769 in the US alone) of entities affected by supply chain spoofing.

Most people remember the iconic movie Terminator, in which the cyborg T-800 was dispatched back in time from the year 2029 with the mission to eliminate Sarah Connor. She was destined to give birth to the future leader of the human resistance against machines, thus threatening their dominance. If Sarah were killed, humanity's fate would be sealed, and the earth would succumb to the rule of machines.

A wave of cheap, crude, amateurish ransomware has been spotted on the dark web - and although it may not make as many headlines as LockBit, Rhysida, and BlackSuit, it still presents a serious threat to organizations.

Alexandre Dumas's timeless novel "The Three Musketeers" immortalized the ideal of unyielding solidarity, the enduring motto "All for one and one for all." In the face of ever-evolving threats in the digital realm, the European Union echoes this spirit with its landmark Cyber Solidarity Act.

Tech leaders taking cybersecurity seriously is something of a double-edged sword. While it’s undoubtedly good that organizations are waking up to the genuine threat cyberattacks pose, it’s depressing that they must siphon off so many resources to protect themselves rather than using them for growth and innovation.