Addressing the Big 3 Cybersecurity Challenges with CISO-as-a-Service

Last updated Dec 18, 2024  |  Published on Jun 30, 2023
by Haley Glover
Overcoming Cybersecurity Challenges with CISO as a Service

Cybersecurity threats pose a significant risk to all organizations in today’s digital landscape. Across industries, public and private sector organizations face the same three cybersecurity challenges:

  • Unintentional insider threats
  • The cost of ignorance
  • Building a culture of cybersecurity

By utilizing CISO-as-a-Service, public and private organizations can overcome the three main cybersecurity challenges. This empowers employees to become the first line of defense and ensures a safer work environment for both employees and the company. 

1. Unintentional Insider Threats

Unintentional insider threats are one of the leading causes of data breaches today. These threats can stem from factors such as insufficient security training, human error, and a lack of knowledge about the software your company uses. To overcome these threats, your organization can implement security awareness training. By contracting CISO-as-a-Service, the designated CISO can build up your current security system to not only ensure everything is running smoothly, but also to refine security awareness training around specific metrics being collected.

Some important security measures to discuss in these pieces of training are email phishing attempts, what potential malware can look like, the importance of password security, and much more. Keeping your employees updated on the best security practices ensures a safer work environment for your entire company.

Pro Tip: Stay aware of who has administrator access privileges to critical systems in your company. Be mindful of suspicious attitude changes likes personal struggles, loss of jobs within the family, or resentment toward a company. These changes could shine a light on a potentially malicious insider threat.

2. Relying on Outdated Security Analyses

It is crucial for organizations to leverage the right tools and software to maximize efficiency and avoid unnecessary costs in their companies. By using CISO-as-a-Service, the CISO can evaluate your organization’s in-use software and determine if your company is paying for any unnecessary security control reviews. They can also confirm what your organization needs to meet minimum standards and move forward.

This customized security review ensures that organizations are not burdened with unnecessary expenses, allowing them to allocate resources more effectively. Without utilizing the help of an on-demand CISO, organizations may waste valuable time and effort trying to determine the appropriate actions to take. This lack of clarity results in unnecessary costs that CISO-as-a-Service can help your organization avoid entirely. 

3. A Corporate Culture That Doesn’t Value Security

Your team members’ attitudes and the overall company culture toward cybersecurity play a significant role in helping organizations prioritize cybersecurity. Without a proactive and cybersecurity-conscious culture, organizations are vulnerable to attacks and may potentially face substantial financial losses. Cybersecurity can be made a priority by allocating resources toward ongoing training and emphasizing the importance of cybersecurity at all levels.  

Your organization’s security awareness training program should go beyond a one-time event by involving regular communication, phishing simulations, best practice reminders, and updates on emerging threats. To build out robust defense depth across the organization, some best practices are to implement multi-factor authentication, anti-phishing tools, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and other relevant security solutions. A CISO-as-a-Service provider can help you design a cybersecurity training program that directly matches your team’s needs. 

Overcoming Today’s Cybersecurity Challenges with CISO-as-a-Service

Addressing the three big cybersecurity challenges today is essential for organizations to have true defense depth to help protect them against evolving threats. By understanding the benefits of CISO-as-a-Service for organizations and choosing to partner with one, you can optimize their cybersecurity investments, eliminating unnecessary expenses and streamlining tools and software.  

Cultivating a proactive cybersecurity culture throughout the organization, supported by ongoing security awareness training and the implementation of robust security solutions, creates a strong line of defense against potential breaches. By embracing these strategies, organizations can confidently navigate the cybersecurity landscape and stay ahead of emerging threats in an increasingly digital world.

For more on Knowledge Services’ cybersecurity services, contact us today.