Present-day technology has evolved and grown more sophisticated. The internet of things (IoT) represents the interconnectedness of devices, virtualization, big data, and the cloud are all new trends.
So, as technology continues to grow and evolve, cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated and creative in their attacks. That's precisely why your organization needs to protect itself against this emerging cyber threat.
Understanding the Cybersecurity Investment
As organizations become more sensitive about cybersecurity, some questions must be answered. Some of these questions include:
- How much should they invest in cybersecurity?
- How do organizations divide or allocate their cybersecurity expenditure?
- What are some cybersecurity budgetary considerations?
The truth is that cybersecurity is becoming more expensive. The rising cost of cybersecurity emanates, first and foremost, from the ever-changing threat landscape.
Today, more than ever, cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated and innovative. The emergence of email compromise, delayed denial of service attacks, malware attacks, phishing attempts, and SQL injections are just a few attempts cybercriminals are making to target vulnerable networks and cyber infrastructures.
Companies are Failing to Invest Enough in Cybersecurity
An emerging body of research by Deloitte shows that despite the ever-changing cyber landscape, organizations need to invest more in cyber defenses. A cyber breach survey has revealed shocking statistics about organizations' efforts to protect themselves against outsider and insider threats.
These statistics include:
- Only 17% of organizations audit their cyber vulnerabilities every year.
- Only 17% of organizations offer cyber training to their workforce annually.
- 34% of organizations have business continuity efforts that capture cybersecurity
So, most executives and chief security officers wonder whether throwing money at this problem is the solution. Well, the answer is yes—and sometimes no. Yes, organizations must take cybersecurity seriously and invest enough in cyber defenses.
However, on the other hand, it's not about how much money you spend on cybersecurity efforts. It's about where and how money is invested to achieve the greatest good.
So, the trick to investing wisely in cybersecurity is understanding your organization's cybersecurity vulnerability and knowing exactly where to invest money in your cyber infrastructure.
How Much Exactly Should You Spend?
Well, a reliable formula to use when calculating your cybersecurity expenditure is using a percentage of your total revenues. That's largely because financial executives use this formula to allocate other functional business areas – marketing, sales, research, development, and distribution.
In addition, always remember that executives tend to allocate more to specific functional areas, depending on sectors. For instance, financial services firms tend to spend higher on cybersecurity than manufacturing firms.
So, the amount or percentage of the revenue you allocate to your cybersecurity efforts depends entirely on your sector and your enterprise's vulnerability.
So, how can organizations decide what percentage to set aside for cybersecurity? And does this allocation matter what sector (or industry) they're in or how big or small their organization is?
So, to answer these questions succinctly, 4% of your total revenues must be allocated to your IT. In answering the second question, no sector or industry (or even the size of your enterprise) is immune to cyber-attacks and their financial consequences.
So, while there is no specific budget for your cybersecurity efforts to grant you complete peace of mind if you spend less than 4% of your revenue on cyber efforts, this figure may not protect you against threats.
Experts advise that most organizations with comprehensive protection against cyber threats spend 4% to 15% of their revenues on cyber budgets.
A report titled 'Pursuing Cyber Maturity at Financial Organization' backs this. The Deloitte report notes that financial services organizations spend at least 4% to 14% of their total revenues on cybersecurity efforts.
The above figure is an accurate parameter, especially considering that financial services firms are most prone to cyberattacks.
However, saying that you reserve 10% to 14% of your budget for cybersecurity investment isn't an accurate and complete answer. Organizations vary depending on size and market. Some are more vulnerable than others, while others are bigger (and smaller) than others.
Tips for Creating a Cybersecurity Budget
So, here are some tips that may help you create a cybersecurity budget:
Take Inventory of Your Assets & Needs
To kick-start your cybersecurity budget, start by taking an inventory of your assets and noting down all the cybersecurity regulations affecting your organization and industry.
The following information will help you build the structure:
- Identify the size of your organization
- Identify your industry
- Identify the kind of data you use
- Identify the devices and networks that you use
- Understand underlying laws and regulations affecting your enterprise
Take stock of your organization's vulnerabilities, critical assets, sensitive data, and potential weak points in your infrastructure. Ask yourself questions like:
- What are your data storage, collection, and data processing methods?
- Who are the persons or professionals involved in all these processes?
- Are there other partners or third parties involved in these processes?
- How and where is your data shared?
- What software applications does your enterprise use?
- What are your specific company vulnerabilities?
It also helps to have a vulnerability assessment done by a Technology Solutions Partner. With all of this information ready you have a good foundation of understanding to build your budget.
Give You Budget Priorities
Like any good project, you need goals and priorities to drive your decisions. Prioritize cybersecurity investments based on the level of risk posed by each threat. First, focus on protecting high-value assets and critical systems, then allocate resources to address lower-priority areas.
Take a risk-based approach to cybersecurity budgeting by assessing various cyber threats' likelihood and potential impact. Allocate resources proportionally to the level of risk posed by each threat, prioritizing those with the highest likelihood and impact. Consider factors such as the value of the assets at risk, the likelihood of a successful attack, and the potential consequences of a breach when determining where to allocate your cybersecurity budget.
Invest in Proactive Measures
While it's important to have reactive measures in place to respond to cyber threats, investing in proactive cybersecurity measures can help prevent breaches from occurring in the first place. Remember that cybersecurity is an ongoing and evolving process requiring regular maintenance, monitoring, and updating security measures.
You should allocate a portion of your cybersecurity budget to preventive measures such as security awareness programs, vulnerability management, detection and response measures, and penetration testing.
Plan for the Future
Once you have determined your needs and priorities, you should be able to get an estimated cost for everything. From there, you can categorize these into 3 categories:
- Maintenance: General upkeep for patching, monitoring, and compliance
- Incident Response: The necessary cost of incident response
- Innovation: Improvements to your current cybersecurity
Your maintenance and incident response budget items should be consitent year-to-year, but the items in the innovation category are items that you can address over the next 3-5 years.
Ascend Can Help
Cybersecurity is no longer an option. As your organization grows and acquires more customers, your IT infrastructure and computing environment become more vulnerable to private players, including insiders. The interconnectedness, integration, and interoperability of devices and networks pose a real threat to your enterprise.
Are you looking for a Technology Solutions Partner for your cybersecurity needs? Talk to one of our experts!
