Is Your Organization Cyber Smart?

The next attack on the U.S. may be launched from a personal computer or laptop. Although the attack itself would bear little resemblance to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the effects of a digital assault could be devastating. Within just a few minutes, air traffic control systems, power stations, hospitals and refineries would grind to a halt. Colossal gridlock would trap millions in dark, powerless cities. As water and food supplies become affected, civil unrest will follow. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has stated that the effects of an all-out cyber assault on society would be catastrophic. The FBI’s top cyber cop Shawn Henry said in a March interview that companies are taking heavy risks by operating vulnerable networks.

Former White House National Security adviser Richard Clarke once wrote, “[It] is the public, the civilian population of the United States and the privately owned corporations that own and run our key national systems that are likely to suffer in a cyber-war.” Cofer Black, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Counterterrorist Center, recently warned in his keynote speech at the Black Hat Conference that cyber attacks are imminent and will escalate.

Just as no one could have predicted the attack on Pearl Harbor, one can only speculate when and where a cyber attack will take place. According to the 2012 Bloomberg Government study titled “The Price of Cybersecurity: Big Investments, Small Improvements,” most organizations are likely unprepared for a cyber attack. The study suggests companies should spend nine times more on securing computer networks to prevent an attack. So how can organizations safeguard themselves from cyber assault? More specifically, what can learning leaders do?

Be prepared. Since training is an organization’s first line of defense and budgets are tight, learning leaders should plan for adoption. They need to assess the organization’s current and desired states. Moreover, they need to understand the organization’s best practices, unique challenges, distinct goals, culture and methodologies. This will establish a road map to measurable results.