Security efforts of an organization, specifically cybersecurity, are directly related to the organization’s success. Without proper protection of an organization’s digital assets, targeted attacks can result in putting valuable data at risk. Throughout the past year, the frequency of cybercrime, which include the following acts: phishing, ransomware, identity theft and fraud, rose an insane 600% increase.

Resolving these issues is no easy task, in fact some instances of malware will often cost businesses a great deal of capital. This isn’t to say organizations are leaving themselves vulnerable. On the contrary, the average spend for most organizations on the cybersecurity end of things is upwards of $2.4 million dollars. Despite this investment, nearly one in three businesses will find themselves victimized by a targeted malware attack resulting in data loss or corruption that can take upwards of a week to solve.

With such hefty investments, how are so many businesses left vulnerable? Most information technology professionals would tell you that their organizations’ investments are sound and should by all accounts be protecting them. However, nearly 75% of all organizations that are victims of these attacks have invested in some form of cybersecurity. Perhaps these organizations’ defense mechanisms aren’t the issue.

The impact of these cybercrimes often comes as a result of the vulnerability of an organization’s executives. With the highest-level clearance in an organization, and thus access to the most sensitive data an organization possess, of course they’d be target number one. An entire organization could come crumbling down if any executive isn’t careful when it comes to these attacks. Willingness to invest into cybersecurity is important but keeping executives safe is ultimately more important.

Protecting any organization’s executive begins with identifying where they exist online. What information is available online regarding this individual? Which social media or networking profiles exist for this executive? What about shopping networks or retail store websites? Any blogs from the past? Determining how much information is out there is just as important as determining what the information itself is. Sometimes taking a proactive approach of minimizing the amount of information shared online is enough to protect executives.

Most importantly, however, is educating executives regarding the dangers of phishing and various cybercrime tactics. As the phishing technique has evolved, even the most sophisticated or savvy executive may still find themselves succumbing to a phishing e-mail. Insisting on executives to take it slow and pay close attention to detail when scanning their mailbox is essential.

Interested in the different types of cyberattacks organizations are continuously defending against? Take a moment to check out the infographic featured alongside this post for more valuable defense strategies. Courtesy of Cancom Global Security.