Cyber capabilities have brought war into the corporate world

Cyber sabotage is no longer a theoretical concept; it is happening in the real world, although much of it unfolds under the radar of the general public. With cyberwar, the border between war, crime, and sabotage is increasingly hard to draw. Conflicts, such as in the Donbass in Ukraine, have become a playground to deploy and assess the capabilities of the new cyber powers. The threat, even to the physical assets of businesses and civil society, is very real.

What should firms do about cyber risks? Things like endpoint protection software and distribution of data assets across different geographies are a must. But the starting point for business cybersecurity is to map all system interconnections and interdependencies, especially with those countries that are on the offensive or targets themselves. Second, adopt a “zero trust” mentality about cloud-based systems.  Systems and networks should then be compartmentalized or segregated through the equivalent of firewalls. Safety is achieved by means of a bit of paranoia, but for the good of all. Despite a zero-trust policy, should any incident occur, responsiveness will be the key to resilience. Emergency procedures need to be established, documented, and rehearsed.

For more details, see We are at cyberwar. Here is what firms need to know and do about it.