Cyberattacks are on the rise, jumping by an alarming 38% in just the past year. The recent MOVEit hacks have also sounded the alarm worldwide on the havoc mass breaches can unleash.
One thing is evident: the surge in cyber attacks demands a new mindset from not just cyber teams but everyone – businesses, governments, professionals, and more. The traditional defensive and reactive strategies fall short against the constantly evolving threats posed by cybercriminals. Security teams are also more strained than ever, highlighting the need to level the playing field.
This new approach shifts the battle from businesses merely waiting to be hit instead of taking the fight to cybercriminals. To stand a chance against them, adopting their mindset is crucial. Understanding their tactics, regularly updating skills, and proactively seeking vulnerabilities are the keys to outpacing cybercriminals.
Unlocking the hacker’s toolbox
There was a time when the term ‘hacker’ was confused with ‘cyber-criminal’, but this is no longer the case. In short, hackers are individuals driven by the curiosity to discover how things work and find ways to bypass any intended way or mechanism each app or network implements. This way of thinking is critical for any organisation.
Embracing a hacker mindset involves adopting an external viewpoint of your business to uncover vulnerabilities before they’re exploited. This includes embracing practices like ethical hacking and penetration testing. While forming a specialised ethical hacking team is an option, embedding this mindset within cyber teams and your wider business is equally effective.
Key to this transformation is upskilling. Businesses should be offering training to encourage creative thinking when it comes to cybersecurity. Instead of waiting for breaches to learn from mistakes, being proactive is crucial. Regular, monthly upskilling for cybersecurity and IT teams, rather than every six months or even a year, keeps them on the front foot. Encouraging a hacking mindset also shouldn’t be confined to cyber experts; all employees should undergo cyber awareness training.
In this fight, businesses and individuals aren’t alone. Numerous training platforms are available, but choosing those that concentrate on providing practical, hands-on skills rooted in real-world attack scenarios is essential. These platforms can help develop the hacker mindset and boost cybersecurity readiness.
In a time of tight budgets, overlooking the importance of investing in effective security upskilling is a mistake businesses simply can’t afford. Failing to do so could result in severe consequences, including potential harm to a company’s survival, reputation, and financial stability. As cybercriminal tactics continue to evolve, embracing the hacker mindset is essential for both professionals and businesses.
A mindset not just for the cyber pros
Security teams are not the only ones that can benefit from a hacker mindset. It should be a company-wide change in approach that’s all about looking ahead, using out-of-the-box thinking, and responding to threats creatively.
This could be the HR team “hacking” its recruitment process by removing restrictive hiring criteria to unlock a new pool of cyber talent, a team leader seeking to understand how emerging technologies can improve their team’s work just as much as it could be the cyber team hacking its own network to find flaws in the code.
Colleges can also play a vital role: they must teach a hacker mindset to the next generation, equipping them with practical skills that go beyond theory. Even earlier in education, cybersecurity should find its place in schools. Children’s natural curiosity aligns well with this mindset. While schools often emphasise online safety, promoting cyber awareness should also be a priority.
With the global skills gap standing at 3.4 million, a proactive solution is needed. And involving children at an earlier stage in security could be the key to hacking this persistent skills shortage. A hacker mindset can be beneficial to everyone regardless of their age. Particularly so in the digital world, we currently live in. As threats are only going to get worse, it’s up to everyone to do their part in spotting, flagging, and stopping them, as well as sharing creative ideas to address them. You never know who may hold the key to the next cybersecurity breakthrough.
