Resilience is the Key to a Secure Cyber Future

In the face of mounting complexity and growing cyber threats, security leaders need a different game plan: cyber resilience.

This blog post was co-authored by Sean Wessman, EY Americas Technology, Cybersecurity Principal.

The hard truth for cybersecurity leaders is that their organizations are facing off with perpetually relentless, ever-evolving malicious actors while having to secure an increasing array of attack surfaces. The numbers make it clear that traditional security methods and tools aren’t enough to keep businesses safe. As reported in the EY 2023 Global Cybersecurity Leadership Insights Study, organizations experience an average of 44 significant cyber incidents a year, and ransomware costs are forecast to reach $265 billion by 2031. Most chief information security officers (CISOs) already know what their organizations are doing is insufficient, with only one in five reporting they consider their approaches effective for modern threats.

The unpredictable threat landscape creates new and unexpected challenges for even the most seasoned cybersecurity specialists. Organizations need to continuously advance their security practices and move beyond reactive technology adoption and disaster recovery to an approach that puts cyber resilience at the core of an end-to-end enterprise strategy. Cyber resilience goes well beyond simply preparing for and responding to threats and attacks; it is a comprehensive approach to protecting organizations that encompasses business continuity, information systems security and organizational resilience. To become cyber resilient, organizations must build security into every aspect of their organization from the ground up and continually iterate to refine their posture. The road to true cyber resilience is challenging, but innovators are paving the way to make it achievable.

Keeping Up with a Changing Cybersecurity Game

The need for cyber resilience is born out of several predicaments, the first of which is the immense complexity security leaders now grapple with across their enterprise technology and security landscapes. IT and security leaders who have adopted multiple technology solutions to combat threats have introduced problematic complexity into both their tech stacks and their security strategies. “Too many attack surfaces” was the most cited internal challenge to organizations’ cybersecurity approach in EY research, and 75% of respondents ranked cloud and the Internet of Things (IoT) as the biggest technology risks in the next five years. As generative AI (GenAI) and emerging technologies make their way into the business, they add to this complexity and create new vulnerabilities.

The second predicament is one of cost and cross-functional work. Historically, cybersecurity investments have been well supported in most organizations. But as threats grow in both effectiveness and volume, organizations may question their investments. To determine where they should put their security budget and enact effective strategies from the top down, security must be an organization-wide effort, not just relegated to cybersecurity teams and the IT department. Now more than ever, organizations must embed security into technology, rather than relying on security teams to protect every aspect of business operations. Making cybersecurity a cross-functional operation instead of siloed work requires better communication across organizational tiers—a hallmark of the most effective security strategies.

Lastly, leaders need a shift in mindset. The rules have evolved, and strong cybersecurity is no longer a game of cat and mouse with individual solutions to treat individual attacks. Mere disaster recovery or business continuity strategies do not suffice when an organization is battling the sophisticated adversaries of the modern threat landscape. Leadership must embrace a more holistic, inherent security approach—one in which security policies, practices and tools are woven together in a company-wide fabric to form the ultimate solution: cyber resilience.

Resilience-ready Solutions for Visionary Security

Working alongside industry leaders, the EY organization and Dell Technologies have designed an intelligent cyber resilience platform, powered by AI/ML technologies, to help give organizations an edge over modern cyber threats. The two innovators bring extensive and experience and technology to the table: the EY team’s completeness of vision and unmatched industry experience fused with Dell’s data protection systems and ability to execute cyber resilience strategies. This powerful combination enables organizations to turn a complex environment into a multilayered defense unit able to withstand extreme digital disruption and evolving risk.

Leveraging these technologies with the right configuration and processes is where the alliance shines. True cyber resilience is a customized combination of technological advancements and the right operational method—the right strategy is different for every organization. EY teams and Dell excel at delivering both effective cybersecurity solutions and a proven method to operationalize them for resilience, adaptability, cost efficiency and an overall improved security posture. Together, the EY organization and Dell work closely with industry leaders to understand an organization’s data challenges and vulnerabilities and to customize a solution to meet their needs, securing their critical data against cyber threats while also keeping it accessible for day-to-day operations.

Reforge Your Cybersecurity Resilience with EY and Dell

The EY-Dell Technologies alliance brings forward-thinking organizations the elasticity to counter today’s adversaries with sophisticated cybersecurity and stand strong against evolving threats. Together, we help organizations:

    • Address the increasing complexity of technology and security landscapes with an integrated, unified cyber resilience solution.
    • Bring every aspect of your organization under a cyber resilience umbrella with an approach that fosters cross-functional collaboration.
    • Evolve your organization’s security mindset to embrace a holistic cyber resilience approach that weaves policies, practices and tools together into a company-wide fabric.

Is your cyber strategy too complex? Watch our video to learn more about the path to becoming cyber resilient with EY and Dell.

Jim Shook

About the Author: Jim Shook

Jim combines his computer science degree and technical experience with over a decade as a litigator and general counsel, helping customers to better understand cybersecurity best practices and related regulatory and legal concerns. Today he focuses on combating the impact of ransomware and destructive attacks with cyber resilience capabilities and technologies. Jim started and continues to lead Dell's relationship with Sheltered Harbor and serves on its Joint Steering Committee. He is also a member of the Joint Steering Committee for the Sedona Conference working group on cybersecurity and privacy.