Although employees and the C-Suite are beginning to understand the importance of data protection and good cybersecurity practices – especially as cyber-attacks increase in size, volume and sophistication – it appears that one major hindrance is the perception that cybersecurity slows down an organization’s overall productivity. However, while the C-Suite and employees alike may have the belief that security “bogs down” efficiency, it is imperative that businesses keep data and network security a top priority. Jack Danahy, CTO and co-founder of Barkly, says in order to do so, we must redefine efficiency. “Good security does not bog down efficiency. Efficiency can’t be measured by how fast a single user can accomplish a particular task; it must be directly linked to the performance of the organization as a whole.” Other cybersecurity setbacks included in Barkly’s 2016 cybersecurity confidence report were poor communication, lack of employee awareness and a lack of budget.
In the report, which surveyed 350 IT professionals, 50 percent of respondents claimed they are not confident in their current cybersecurity products and practices. On top of that, three of four believe their employees’ understanding of cybersecurity is “moderate” at best. Unfortunately, employees fail to understand the consequences if they ignore security protocol. The belief that increased cybersecurity measures hinder productivity only motivates employees to take shortcuts, which only leads to increased security vulnerabilities. Another concern regarding good cybersecurity practices is that the C-Suite fails to understand the ROI when it comes to cybersecurity. The problem here is that business leaders calculate ROI in terms of how much profit comes from a new initiate. However, when it comes to making investments on cybersecurity, it is about avoiding losses, not increasing profit.