For over a decade we’ve understood technology alone will not solve the problem. We must continue working to empower our teams to grow and innovate alongside the systems and platforms we leverage – and to do so in a manner that is safe and responsible. Every member of the organization should understand the role they play in creating a culture of security. There is no effective cybersecurity strategy without accounting for and involving our greatest assets, our people.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. While the conversation regarding cybersecurity has evolved, the conventional approach remains: creating more questions than answers. Where does cybersecurity fit within an organization? What constitutes “basic duty of care,” and who should be responsible for ensuring that standard is being met? How do we position cybersecurity from a budgetary perspective?

The interconnected nature of the world we live in today brings nearly everything into our purview. Cybersecurity has become much more than a line item on a budget, a compliance checklist, or a set of policies and frameworks. It has become a foundational principle, weaving itself into the ethos of a global narrative.

For years now organizations have undergone transformation and modernization efforts to remain competitive in their respective markets. We’ve witnessed a mass migration to cloud-based technologies and Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms to harness agility and mobility at scale. Those organizations that have yet to do so are not only struggling with stagnation and rigidity, but they also carry the heightened risk of maintaining and securing antiquated technology environments – making the protection of sensitive data challenging and cumbersome – creating unmanageable bandwidth constraints for IT teams.

For years now organizations have undergone transformation and modernization efforts to remain competitive in their respective markets. We’ve witnessed a mass migration to cloud-based technologies and Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms to harness agility and mobility at scale. Those organizations that have yet to do so are not only struggling with stagnation and rigidity, but they also carry the heightened risk of maintaining and securing antiquated technology environments – making the protection of sensitive data challenging and cumbersome – creating unmanageable bandwidth constraints for IT teams.

The digitization of our world continues to expand capabilities that touch every part of our lives. Virtually everything is connected to the internet - our phones, smart devices, networking equipment, autonomous vehicles, factories, our critical infrastructure, and our expansive supply chains. Being so connected empowers us to live and work in ways never possible before.

In the world of cybersecurity, the landscape is evolving more rapidly than we’ve ever seen in history. The complexities of securing an organization require skillsets that didn’t exist five years ago. To be successful, we must evolve and amass the talents required to address this challenge. If sustainability is ever to be a realistic achievement, a cultivation and harvesting of mindsets that welcome perplexities must occur.

After more than two years of the pandemic, social unrest, the so-called Great Resignation, and now economic inflation – people are more aware than ever of where they work and where their money is spent. The complexities of sustainability - in a highly digitized, post pandemic world - move beyond agriculture and energy and into everything we experience.

Over the past six weeks we’ve heard quite a bit from The White House and our top security agencies. Sanctions imposed on Russia have sparked concerns around potential retaliation, and recent intelligence seems to be validating those concerns.

Looking back on 2021, we see significant change within the cybersecurity industry. The conversation has been elevated from occasional staff meetings to the C-Suite and boardroom, all the way to The White House. This is positive progress and a necessary step in the right direction.

While much of the year was consumed with addressing ransomware and supply chain attacks from a reactionary position, the focus nearing the end of the year shifted to building resilience as a proactive measure.

In the early morning hours of February 24th, Vladimir Putin issued a televised statement declaring Russian forces would begin “special military operations” in Ukraine. The days and hours leading up to the Russian advancement into Ukraine read straight from Putin’s hybrid warfare playbook - almost identical to Russia’s invasions of Georgia in 2008 and Crimea in 2014.

Looking back on 2021, we see significant change within the cybersecurity industry. The conversation has been elevated from occasional staff meetings to the C-Suite and boardroom, all the way to The White House. This is positive progress and a necessary step in the right direction.

While much of the year was consumed with addressing ransomware and supply chain attacks from a reactionary position, the focus nearing the end of the year shifted to building resilience as a proactive measure.