Top Cybersecurity Advice from Industry Leaders and Experts

Over the years, many industry leaders and cybersecurity experts have shared their insights and wisdom on the importance of protecting the digital world. Here’s a collection of cybersecurity advice, offering inspiration, caution, and motivation for everyone in the digital realm.

In today’s hyper-connected world, cyber security has become one of the most critical concerns for individuals, businesses, and governments alike. It’s not just about protecting your social password anymore; it’s about safeguarding entire business operations, personal identities, and even national security.

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and a few minutes of cyber-incident to ruin it

Stephane Nappo, Global Chief Information Security Officer, remarks that building a good reputation takes a lot of time and effort for both large- and small-scale businesses. So no matter what type of business it is – her advice says that falling victim to a cyber-attack/breach is embarrassing as it can have an extremely negative impact on all aspects of the company. Allowing your business to be breached by one of these cyber criminals will not only cause financial loss but also reputational damage, which can be much worse in the long run.

In short, no company can survive without a good brand reputation. And even if your businesses have been untouched by cybercrime since its existence – one bad cyber-attack/data breach can be enough to set your company back years.

There’s no silver bullet with cybersecurity; a layered defense is the only viable option

James Scott, a globally Acclaimed cybersecurity expert and thought leader, means that there is no single solution to cybersecurity and that a layered defense system is the only practical option. The core idea is to create several layers of defense so that if one layer is compromised, others are in place to mitigate the attack. This approach ensures that organizations’ networks and data are protected from multiple angles, reducing the risk of successful cyberattacks.

When companies had an insider threat, they’re much more costly than external incidents.

Dr. Larry Ponemon, Chairman and Founder of the Ponemon Institute, research revealed that many companies actually make a decision to discount red flags involving current employees and insider threats. Whereas in reality, insiders can do much more serious harm than external hackers can, because they have much easier access to systems and a much greater window of opportunity.

Additionally, insider threats can be hard to detect, even after using advanced security threat detection tools. This is likely due to the fact that an insider threat typically doesn’t reveal itself until the moment of attack. Also, because the malicious actor looks like a legitimate user, it can be difficult to distinguish between normal behavior and suspicious activity in the days, weeks and months leading up to an attack. With authenticated access to sensitive information, the insider exploit might not be apparent until the data is gone. Hence, one needs to be cautious about internal cyberattacks too.

Cybersecurity is not an expense- it’s an investment in your business’s long-term success and resilience

Michael Cina, Founding Partner and CTO, Mialto Technology Solutions calls us to think of cybersecurity as an investment, rather than cost suck. The cost of a data breach can be astronomical, far exceeding the initial investment in preventive measures. According to recent studies published by IBM, the average cost of a data breach in 2024 was around $4.88 million.

In contrast, investing in robust cybersecurity can save millions by preventing these breaches in the first place. His cybersecurity advice? Protect your data, and your reputation by investing in cybersecurity systems. This upfront cost of security is a small price to pay as compared to the potential financial and reputational damage of a breach.

The knock-on effect of a data breach can be devastating for a company. When customers start taking their business—and their money—elsewhere, that can be a real body blow

An information breach can have highly damaging effects on businesses, not only through financial losses but also the reputation damage it causes with customers, clients, and employees. On top of that, organizations may also be subjected to fines and legal implications from increasingly stringent data and privacy regulations like the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

Regardless of how prepared your organization is for a data breach, Christopher Graham, Global Cybersecurity Expert, says there’s no room for complacency in today’s evolving digital landscape, especially regarding the consequences of data breaches. A coordinated security strategy must be in place to protect data privacy, mitigate threats, and safeguard your brand’s reputation.

One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency

Every boss desires to be a great leader, and that comes with a great vision. The best leaders see where things are headed long before they arrive and skate to where the puck is going to be.

In line with Arnold Glasow’s, Businessman and Humorist’s cybersecurity advice, a great leader should be able to identify potential problems and take action before they escalate into emergencies. This requires a proactive approach to risk management and a deep understanding of project variables. By recognizing problems early on and taking measures to address them, a project manager can effectively navigate the challenges that may arise during the project lifecycle. It will avoid unexpected damage, save costs, and help deliver a successful project on the set deadline.

Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. We must work together to protect our digital lives

Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President at Microsoft Corporation, has said that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility between the public and private sectors. He has also said that everyone, from governments, critical infrastructure, corporations, small and medium-sized businesses, financial institutions, healthcare providers, service providers, employees, vendors, remote employees, and individuals —plays a vital role when it comes to security. And by working together as a community, we can build a robust defense against cyber threats and protect our collective digital well-being.

The goal of cybersecurity is not to eliminate all risks, but to intelligently manage risks to an acceptable level

Michael Coates, Cybersecurity Expert, advises orgs to seek to identify and achieve an acceptable risk level for their organization.

Cybersecurity risk management is the process of identifying an organization’s digital assets, reviewing existing security measures, and implementing solutions to either continue what works or to mitigate security risks that may pose threats to a business. Having a cybersecurity risk management strategy in place also ensures that procedures and policies are followed at set intervals, and that security is kept up to date.

Cybersecurity is an ongoing battle, not a one-time event

Cybersecurity is a continuous process that requires ongoing attention and adaptation to new threats and vulnerabilities. New attacks and vulnerabilities occur every day, and relying on keeping everything out forever is wishful thinking. The bad guys only have to be right once to win; the good guys have to be right every time just to stay in the game, says Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies.

There’s no such thing as perfect security, and organizations need to be prepared for the possibility of a breach even if they’ve taken all reasonable precautions.

Social engineering bypasses all technologies, including firewalls.” –

Kevin Mitnick, an American computer security consultant, author, and convicted hacker, explains the art of manipulating, influencing, or deceiving you to gain control over your computer system. The hacker might use the phone, email, snail mail or direct contact to gain illegal access. Common social engineering techniques include phishing, pretexting, baiting, tailgating etc are all examples.

What makes social engineering especially dangerous is that it relies on human error, rather than vulnerabilities in software and operating systems. Mistakes made by legitimate users are much less predictable, making them harder to identify and thwart than a malware-based intrusion.

So, even the strongest security measures can be undone by a single moment of human error. However, by staying vigilant and fostering a security-conscious culture, we can create a robust human firewall against social engineering attacks.

In brief

In a world where our digital presence is intertwined with professional success, let these professionals cybersecurity advice inspire you to be more intentional, secure, and successful in your digital interactions.