He leads from the front. A leader is there to lead, and among other “things” to be an example to the rest of his organization. And he cannot be this if he’s reacting to the latest threat or delegating all his critical responsibilities to others. “Sure” leaders delegate all of the time but when it comes to policy issues or taking charge he needs to be the first into the breach. And the most succinct and effective way to do this in the area of data security is with an effective written and tested security policy, and a cogent security posture.
Many Things Can Happen
“Yes”, many things can happen. And in the area of data security, a lot of them are not very pleasant. But being prepared, leading by “example” will dictate how your organization survives it’s next attack. And make no mistake, there will be another attack. The real question is will your organization be prepared for this attack, or will it turn into a major breach? Unfortunately, I am not so sure there is any other kind of breach but a major one. The average cost of a data breach for 2015 went up 15% to $3.5 million dollars, and that’s just the average. The bad guys are making more money. And you know what that means; if the criminals are making money at it. You can bet they will do more of it.
What Can You Do About It
The positive news is that even though the statistics are ugly, your options are many. There are numerous security tools out there, lots of great technologies that can make you safer, and more is being developed every day. There are also very strong security support organizations. But none of this is going to be helpful without a plan. You need a strong effective and flexible security posture. You need a written and constantly updating security policy that can be used by more than your IT, but by every one of your employees. And you need to demonstrate through words, actions, incentives and even corrective measures that you take this seriously. It is at the forefront of what you believe. And as you already know, when you are out front, the rest of your organization will follow.