When conducting a cyber risk assessment, it’s essential to look beyond IT. Every department within an organization plays a role in cybersecurity, whether directly or indirectly, and understanding their unique risks is key to building a strong security posture. Here’s a breakdown of the critical departments to include in a cyber risk assessment and why their participation is vital.
1. IT Department
- Why Include Them: The IT department is often at the forefront of managing cybersecurity tools, software, and networks. They have insight into the current infrastructure, including hardware, software, cloud systems, and network configurations.
- Key Risks: Insider threats, configuration issues, outdated systems, and unpatched software vulnerabilities.
2. Human Resources (HR)
- Why Include Them: HR manages sensitive employee data such as social security numbers, salary information, and personal identification details. They are also involved in onboarding and offboarding employees, which is critical for access management.
- Key Risks: Mishandling of sensitive data, improper access control for departing employees, and weak policies around data protection and employee training.
3. Finance and Accounting
- Why Include Them: This department handles financial transactions, tax filings, vendor payments, and customer billing, all of which are targets for cybercriminals looking to steal funds or commit fraud.
- Key Risks: Phishing attacks, invoice fraud, financial data theft, and breaches in payment processing systems.
4. Legal and Compliance
- Why Include Them: Legal teams manage contracts, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance. Any breach in data security could result in legal implications and non-compliance fines, especially under laws like GDPR or HIPAA.
- Key Risks: Data breaches leading to legal ramifications, non-compliance with industry regulations, and inadequate incident response planning.
5. Sales and Marketing
- Why Include Them: Sales and marketing departments handle customer data, use a range of third-party platforms (such as CRMs and email marketing tools), and may store sensitive leads and financial information.
- Key Risks: Mismanagement of customer data, third-party vulnerabilities, phishing attempts, and insecure cloud tools.
6. Operations and Manufacturing
- Why Include Them: For organizations involved in manufacturing or operations, industrial systems like IoT devices, automation platforms, and supply chain management tools are integral to daily work and are prone to cyberattacks.
- Key Risks: Operational downtime due to cyberattacks, vulnerabilities in IoT devices, and cyberattacks targeting supply chain partners.
7. Executive Leadership
- Why Include Them: Executives often have access to the most sensitive company data, including strategic plans, financial projections, and personal employee information. A breach at this level can have significant company-wide repercussions.
- Key Risks: CEO fraud (also known as whaling), insider threats, and weak personal security practices such as poor password management.
8. Customer Support and Service
- Why Include Them: Customer support departments have access to customer accounts, personally identifiable information (PII), and potentially payment details. They are often the first line of defense for handling sensitive inquiries.
- Key Risks: Social engineering attacks, customer data leaks, and mishandling of sensitive information.
The Importance of a Holistic Approach
A cyber risk assessment is only effective if it considers the full spectrum of departmental risks. While IT often takes center stage, risks extend to every part of the organization. Including all departments in the assessment ensures that no weak links are left unaddressed, helping to protect the company from potential threats.
To conduct a successful risk assessment, involve key stakeholders from each department and gather insights on their daily operations, security controls, and potential vulnerabilities. A collaborative, cross-departmental approach is the key to a resilient cybersecurity strategy.
