Business leaders may not have heard of a security culture, but it’s soon going to be a necessity as the number of cyber attacks proliferates.

The attack surface is now growing, according to a recent report by Trend Micro, a software security provider. This essentially means that businesses are being hit by cyber attacks from a number of different areas.

What’s needed is a rethink when it comes to security, something that may sound difficult on paper but only requires appropriate planning.

A growing attack surface

Security threats are evolving, and businesses need to start understanding the risks and what needs to be done to minimise the chance of an attack.

By doing so, a company can avoid a potentially serious data breach, one where sensitive information is exposed.

The Trend Micro report Vulnerabilities Under Attack: Shedding Light on the Growing Attack Surface, noted that Australians clicked on over 45.5 million malicious links in the third quarter of this year. This is up from 39 million in the second quarter, and 27 million in the first.

Australia also ranked fifth in the world for most point-of-sale malware infections in a country – something that businesses will certainly need to rectify to avoid potential reputation damage and customer loss.

“With this fluidity, it’s time to embrace the fact that compromises will continue, and we shouldn’t be alarmed or surprised when they occur,” said Jon Oliver, senior software architect director at Trend Micro Australia and New Zealand.

“Preparation is key, and as an industry we must better educate organisations and consumers about heightened risks as attacks grow in volume and in sophistication.’

He stated that it’s important to understand that cybercriminals will find loopholes in every device and platform.

This expanding attack surface requires businesses to be switched on when it comes to security and one of the best ways to do so is by growing a security culture.

Growing a security culture

A security culture needs to be more than just a consideration for businesses. Such an endeavour could form the backbone of security efforts.

Adopting such a culture means security efforts go above basic systems, to where staff are aware of exactly what can cause data breaches and leaks.

When all levels of an organisation are acutely aware of danger of cyberattacks, there’s a substantially reduced chance of any sensitive information being exposed.

For example, a strong security culture means staff avoid all potentially malicious emails and web links, and promptly report them to the IT department. Likewise, if suspicious hard drives are found onsite, they’re turned into the IT department and not plugged into a network-connected computer.

A security education

Businesses, whether they’re large retailers or SMEs, need to consider the value of a comprehensive security education – one designed to raise awareness of security.

SABSA, for example, is the world’s most successful security architecture, as it uses a best-practice method to deliver cohesive information security solutions.

A SABSA course will provide participants will the knowledge necessary to take charge of security in areas such as risk, assurance, architecture and design.

Preparing for the future

There’s no denying that security threats will continue to propagate over the next few years, being driven by increasing technology use both within businesses and by consumers.

This growing array of potential targets for cyberattackers will require vigilance on behalf of companies and a focus on security cultures and frameworks.

If you’d like to get started with a leading security framework, speak to the expert team at ALC Training. Courses can be delivered anywhere in Australia and to locations across the globe.

Become certified as a CISSP

Are you an IT professional ready to take your qualifications to the next level? ALC Training is one of the top providers of the Certified Information Systems Security Professional course. Our comprehensive 5-day course will cover everything you’ll need to know to pass the CISSP exam. Provided in major cities in Australia, sign up to our CISSP training today.