Why Businesses Keep Losing the War on Cyber Terror: Part 3

By Paul Dobbins

Awareness Isn’t Enough: A Transparency Revolution 

In Part 1 of this blog series, I asked why businesses continue to lose the war on cyber terror; and in Part 2, I identified some of the root causes of the problem. Now it’s time to stop talking and start doing something about it.

Every October during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we see an increase in tips and tricks to help businesses better protect themselves. This is a great endeavor to raise awareness for the average consumer. How do I know it’s working?  For one, my wife (who works in education) came home beaming ear to ear, boasting that she knew it was Cybersecurity Awareness Month because her school is taking part in the campaign. Amazingly, my middle school aged son even knew about it.

But we, as leaders in cybersecurity, must do more to affect top-level change in order to truly flip the script in this war. We must question the ways we are currently conducting business. We must begin putting the “why” ahead of what we do—and let that guide how we do things.

As outlined in Part 2, the amount of noise in the cybersecurity landscape is deafening. In an ecosystem as complex as cybersecurity, trust is paramount. But when phrases like ‘where there’s mystery, there’s margin,’ permeate the culture, trust is eroded. The best way to earn trust is through transparency.

Inspired by our Founder Michael Kennedy’s passion for transparency, Ostra has outlined the beginnings of a framework that we believe people are hungry for. We believe leaders in the cybersecurity industry should model these behaviors:

Honesty:

• Using plain, common language that all user levels can understand
• Using transparent sales & marketing practices
• Using non-predatory practices (e.g. fear tactics)

Self-awareness:

• Openly recognizing their organization/solution is not perfect, or ideal for everyone
• Committed to constantly growing, learning and improving for the good of clients

Transparency:

• Giving and receiving constructive feedback
• Sharing critical information with competitors and other vendors in the interest of serving and protecting clients

Accountability:

• Educating others as a priority over sales
• Seeking collaboration with industry partners
• Donating time, talents and other resources to bettering the industry

Join the Revolution

Would you do business with companies who align with this transparency framework, or something similar? If so, let us know and be part of a transparency revolution. Together we can turn the tide.