It is a common scenario: an employee is terminated from his job and while being escorted from the facilities he tries to take a backup of his work, or worse, of confidential corporate information. As a leader of the cyber security team it is your job to train, handle and check any type of cyber theft issue, including this one.  And if you have planned well, you deal efficiently with cybersecurity management by ensuring your employee contract legally protects the company and allows it to confiscate backup media from employees leaving the building.

But what happens if this issue is not accounted for?

The the company could face serious threats and even possible loss of proprietary information.

This scenario is often a very tricky situation for companies that are not prepared with a cybersecurity management program (CMP). An employee could very well walk out of the facility with a backup of sensitive information, possibly  even the latest product designs or any other information critical to the growth or the financials of the organization.  It is a problem that many companies face and the solution is to implement a CMP to protect the company against cyber crimes of this nature.

Cybersecurity Management

If you fail to manage your cybersecurity issues, your security measures will fail and your organization will be compromised. With phishing, ransomware and so many other types of cybercrime out there, it is critical that businesses plan, create and execute effective cybersecurity management programs that work. When these programs are implemented and consistently managed, the organization’s sensitive information will be protected.  We must always keep in mind that an intruder only needs one cybersecurity weakness to compromise the organization. It is your team’s responsibility to properly manage all the cyber security controls and settings of your business so situations like these do not occur.

We cannot underestimate the need to develop and implement an effective cybersecurity management program to encompass all possible weaknesses. But what is the solution? A good CMP starts by keeping in mind these five key points:

1. Identify and get support from the senior leaders of all departments.
2. Develop an organization-wide cybersecurity management program and submit it for endorsement by the CEO.
3. Create a cybersecurity management work plan to implement the policy.
4. Mandate a document review process to support ongoing cybersecurity policy and management.
5.  Complete the basic cybersecurity framework first.

Final Thoughts

Cyber threats are a real issue and organizations of all sizes need to prepare for cyber attacks, both internal and external. It’s a matter of setting up all-encompassing cyber threat policies and then testing them against all possible scenarios. The principle behind effective cyber security management is to be prepared for all situations, including internal cyber threats.

If you would like more information, contact LP3. We will be glad to help you make an informed decision on cyber security for your business or organization.

Scott Lawler is CEO of LP3 and provides enterprise cyber security architecture advice to government and commercial clients.