Each month we break down some of the bigger cybersecurity news and tips for organizations to stay in the know and make informed decisions around their cybersecurity plans.
From diversity and inclusion to government movements to protect businesses and agencies from potential cybersecurity attacks, as well as the latest information about organizational weaknesses that U.S. organizations share, this blog will cover the most recent news regarding cybersecurity.
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Diversity and Inclusion Efforts can Fill the Cybersecurity Professional Shortage
Cybersecurity has always been important for companies to safeguard their own data as well as their customers’ data. However, it’s only becoming more important for companies to hire the best cybersecurity professionals to maintain a strong cybersecurity strategy. Cyberattacks are increasing yearly and with that rise comes the demand for cybersecurity professionals. The problem is that many organizations are struggling to meet the demand for these cybersecurity professionals.
This problem is not made better by the fact that minority groups make up an increasingly low percentage of the workforce (Black professionals: 9%, Hispanic professionals: 4%, Asian professionals: 8%). In addition, although women make up 51% of the population, they make up only 24% of the cybersecurity workforce. Prioritizing diversity and inclusion is an important strategy that organizations can use to fill the 500,000 open cybersecurity positions right now. Organizations can achieve this by eliminating financial barriers for professional development, implementing policies that encourage allyship, as well as offering childcare and paid family leave. All these strategies work to attract and recruit new professionals of color to your organizations and help to retain those professionals within your organization, especially when looking to diversify the upper echelons of an organization.
State Department Plans New Cybersecurity Office
The U.S. State Department is going through a department overhaul that will focus on tackling the global cybersecurity challenges that the nation will face in the coming years. As a part of this overhaul, there is a plan to create a Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy. This plan comes as the Biden administration makes several efforts, including an executive order, to handle international cybersecurity problems, U.S. government network hacks, election interference, and theft of intellectual property.
These actions came in reaction to a senate report released in August 2021 that criticized many federal agencies for their lackluster cybersecurity practices. Seven of the eight agencies that were reviewed by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee received failing marks for their inability to protect personally identifiable information as well as creating security risks for American’s private information.
It’s well known that cybersecurity threats for governments, organizations, and individuals are a growing concern. However, this has not made much of a difference among most people. Some American organizations are still going about their work without a cybersecurity plan or any strategies in place. This, according to a report from Deloitte, is a troubling problem, especially when considering that their report also found that 98 percent of U.S. executives stated that they experienced a cybersecurity attack in the past year, which is more than for executives in non-U.S. regions (84 percent).
Related Reading: The Top 7 Cybersecurity Strategies for Your Business in 2021
When these attacks occurred, most organizations admitted that the attacks came at the cost of any number of problems including operational disruptions, share price drop, leadership change, intellectual theft, or a loss in customer trust and buy-in. Like all problems, this one, of course, has a solution. Organizations need to work hard to fill the talent gap and employ cybersecurity professionals to bolster organizational defenses.
House Approves Bills to Bolster Small Business Cybersecurity Infrastructure
The U.S. House of Representatives approved bills that are meant to bolster the strength of small businesses cybersecurity. Small businesses are especially vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks now and will be more vulnerable in the future. The Small Business Administration Cyber Security Awareness Act would require reports to be issued on the capabilities small businesses have to combat breaches of potentially compromising information.
Related Reading: Cybersecurity for Small Businesses | Plans and Templates
One of the larger boons that these bills would offer is the ability for the Small Business Administration to counsel small businesses regarding their cybersecurity needs. Because cybersecurity attacks are on the rise and small businesses are most at risk, the small business certification programs would help development centers already in existence assist these businesses with purpose and specificity.
Conclusion
All-in-all, the U.S. is making progress as far as cybersecurity attack readiness goes. However, there remains a large number of risks and organizational weaknesses that need the attention of anyone with the responsibility to ensure data security and privacy. That being said, there are many ways that organizations can take action on these issues and improve the overall outlook of cybersecurity in the U.S.
