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Cybersecurity: No Longer Just An IT Problem--It's A Business Imperative

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  Published in Business and Finance on Friday, October 3rd 2025 at 8:57 GMT by Forbes
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Cybersecurity Is No Longer Just an IT Problem—It’s a Business Imperative

By a Forbes Technology Council contributor (October 3 , 2025)

In the past decade, the phrase “cybersecurity” was almost always confined to IT‑centric conversations: patching software, bolstering firewalls, and training employees to spot phishing emails. The Forbes Tech Council article “Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT problem, it’s a business imperative” challenges that narrow view. The piece argues that the line between technology and business strategy is dissolving, and that senior leaders across all functions must treat cyber risk with the same rigor they apply to market risk, operational risk, or even talent strategy. Below is a thorough walk‑through of the article’s key take‑aways, the supporting evidence it draws on, and the actionable recommendations it lays out for today’s executives.

1. The New Economics of Cyber Risk

The article opens with a stark statistic that underscores the urgency: the average cost of a data breach in 2024 was $4.45 million, up 19 % from the previous year. It cites the IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024 as the source. Even more compelling is the claim that a breach can depress a company’s share price by as much as 13 % on the first trading day—an effect that can reverberate through an organization’s valuation for years.

The authors note that the financial impact is no longer an isolated “cost center” but a strategic risk that can derail revenue growth, supply‑chain relationships, and customer trust. This financial framing makes cybersecurity a natural fit for discussion in quarterly earnings calls, boardroom meetings, and even investor relations decks.

2. Cybersecurity as a Competitive Differentiator

Beyond the risk calculus, the article frames cyber resilience as a competitive advantage. It references Forbes Insights (a recent internal research publication) that found 70 % of surveyed CEOs say a strong cyber‑resilience posture directly influences their customers’ buying decisions. The piece highlights the “trust‑based” model of today’s market: customers will choose a vendor with a proven, transparent incident‑response program over one that simply offers a “robust” security framework on paper.

A compelling case study comes from Shopify, which the article cites as having reduced its mean time to detection (MTTD) from 42 hours in 2018 to under 5 hours in 2024 by embedding cyber monitoring into every layer of its product stack. The result? A 35 % reduction in downtime and a corresponding uptick in merchant satisfaction scores.

3. Leadership and Governance: A Multi‑Disciplinary Approach

The article stresses that cybersecurity cannot be siloed. It draws on a 2024 Harvard Business Review article that outlines three “pillars” of cyber‑governance:

1. Executive Sponsorship – C‑suite endorsement of a cyber‑strategy budget that mirrors revenue targets.
2. Cross‑Functional Teams – Integration of legal, finance, operations, and HR into the incident‑response process.
3. Transparent Metrics – Adoption of a “Cyber Index” that translates risk into a quarterly scorecard for board review.

The Forbes piece notes that 30 % of firms with a dedicated Chief Security Officer (CSO) outperform peers on market performance after controlling for industry and size, underscoring the value of dedicated cyber leadership.

4. The Supply Chain and Third‑Party Risk

Supply‑chain attacks are the new normal. The article references the SolarWinds incident and the more recent Microsoft Exchange breach to illustrate how even trusted vendors can become vectors. The authors recommend a Zero‑Trust supply‑chain model, wherein every third‑party connection undergoes continuous verification.

Practical steps include: - Automated API‑based vetting for each vendor’s security posture. - Real‑time threat intelligence feeds that flag any anomalous activity in a partner’s environment. - Exit‑strategies that are embedded in every contract clause.

5. Cyber Insurance: Not a Substitute, but a Component

While many firms still view cyber insurance as a safety net, the article argues that it should be part of a broader risk‑management framework. The authors point to Risk‑Forward research that found firms combining cyber‑insurance with internal security maturity scores have a 15 % lower overall loss than those relying solely on insurance. The article cautions that insurers increasingly require third‑party security assessments and continuous monitoring before underwriting.

6. Talent and Culture: The Human Factor

Technology alone can’t solve the problem. The article underscores the importance of a “security culture” that permeates all levels of an organization. It cites MIT Sloan Management Review findings that firms with high “security maturity” scores see a 27 % reduction in successful phishing attempts. Key initiatives highlighted include:

• Quarterly security simulations for every employee.
• Gamified training modules that reward “security champions.”
• Transparent incident reporting that avoids blame and focuses on learning.

7. Metrics That Matter

For cybersecurity to be a business imperative, it needs clear metrics that align with financial outcomes. The article proposes a set of KPIs:

The authors argue that these KPIs should be part of the executive dashboard, reported quarterly to the board.

8. Looking Ahead: The Future Landscape

The article ends on a forward‑looking note, warning that AI‑driven attacks will become the new baseline. It calls for a dual strategy:

1. AI‑native defenses such as behavioral analytics that flag anomalous machine‑learning patterns.
2. Investment in “adversarial AI” research to stay ahead of attackers.

The piece concludes that while technology will always be a crucial piece of the puzzle, business leaders who weave cyber resilience into the fabric of corporate strategy will lead the market, mitigate risk, and safeguard the long‑term value of their organizations.

Final Thought

Cybersecurity is no longer a side‑project of IT; it’s a strategic lever that can drive competitive advantage, protect capital, and ensure continuity. The Forbes Tech Council’s article is a timely reminder that the stakes have shifted, and the only way to stay ahead is to embed cyber risk into every layer of business planning, governance, and culture.