Digitalization – but safe!
According to the Allianz Risk Barometer, cyberattacks will pose the greatest risk to businesses in 2025. ‘Cyber risks are growing exponentially,’ says Daniel Isler, Head of Digital Transformation, founder of Fargate and guest speaker at the CAS Digital Acceleration & AI course at Rochester-Bern.
Much to gain and little Security
Small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) generally have fewer resources than large companies and therefore face many challenges. However, when it comes to cybersecurity, their small size can be an advantage. “Cybercriminals target organizations where there is a lot to gain and security standards are inadequate,” says Isler. Very small companies are therefore often unattractive targets, as are large companies with advanced security measures. The general rule is that the more there is to gain, the more protection needed.
The underestimated Human Factor
“Many people associate cyber risks with technology and are unaware that humans are one of the most important factors,” says Isler. Human error often serves as a gateway for cyberattacks, whether through the use of simple passwords, clicking on unsafe links, or passing on sensitive data to unauthorized individuals. While specialists can reliably ensure the security of IT systems, doing so with employees is more difficult. “People can have a bad day, be new to the company, or simply not recognize a cybercriminal’s scam — and then it happens,” says Isler.
Cat-and-Mouse Game
Cybercriminals are constantly developing new attack strategies. Security specialists must implement protective mechanisms against these strategies as quickly as possible. “It’s a cat-and-mouse game with ever-changing variants,” says Isler. The only thing that helps is general awareness of the problem.
Top 10 Cyber Risk Map
According to Isler, creating a top 10 cyber risk map can help protect against cyberattacks. This map involves defining and ranking the 10 most important cyber risks according to their probability of occurrence and potential damage. Then, measures can be taken to avoid these risks, and response strategies can be defined.
“Companies that have already fallen victim to a cyberattack understandably have a very high level of security awareness. They are all too familiar with the consequences of such attacks and consequently invest significantly more in IT security measures,” says Isler. However, companies that address the issue in advance, e.g., through training and external consulting, suffer less damage.
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