Home / ITRM Insights / Blog / Who is Responsible for Cyber Security in Modern Businesses
03 Mar 2025
Cyber security is becoming more familiar as time passes due to its increased importance within a business, but what does it mean? Cyber security protects IT infrastructure (computers, networks, data) from online assaults by enlisting measures to safeguard an organisation.
It's great when people discover new, innovative ways to leverage technology for positive outcomes, such as optimising efficiencies. However, this can also have negative implications when cyber criminals use the latest technologies to attack businesses for personal gain. Sophisticated attacks can result in a tarnished brand reputation, severe operational disruptions, financial loss, and much more. The question is, who is responsible for ensuring cyber security in your business?
Depending on your in-house resources, you may have an in-house IT Department. This comes with an extensive range of responsibilities for the team; they will be relied upon to support users with their day-to-day IT Support, which can include a variety of tasks and enable users to operate with minimal disruptions.
On top of this, they are also responsible for protecting your organisation's data, reputation and customer base from cyber breaches. With more businesses utilising the remarkable features of this online world, there is an increased risk of being exposed to a cyber-attack. Your in-house IT team will be relied upon to ensure you operate with the latest systems, updating and maintaining any software used to protect your business, often training users to prevent human error leading to digital defeat to cyber criminals.
This can be an overwhelming field for an IT department due to the vast depth of knowledge and resources needed to maintain a business's digital backbone. Some companies will lean on a Managed Service Provider to alleviate some of this stress.
Business leaders are not exempt from responsibilities regarding cyber security. They are responsible for ensuring that the business is aware of the threats that cyber-crime can pose. The potential impact of cyber-crime on businesses should drive them to set a firm tone around cyber security.
Going beyond instilling expectations in their staff, a business's leadership can influence what the organisation spends on protecting not only its data but also its customers' data. As technology develops, so will the threats it poses to businesses worldwide. Failure to acknowledge this and invest in your online security could result in you being exploited by cyber criminals in various ways. For those wanting to invest but are unaware of what step to take, whether that's investing in training for your staff, a robust cyber security stack, or any of the other clever ways of protecting your business, seeking professional advice from an IT specialist could be the right move, protecting your organisation.
According to UK government reports, business employees are proven to be the most likely cause of a cyber security breach, typically via phishing. This is a dangerous statistic that companies need to understand, which is one of the reasons it's essential to have a culture reflecting cyber security's importance. One way this can be achieved is via cyber training. Training can provide employees with insights into their business and how to best protect against it through digestible video content, quizzes and other engaging methods. You can also test your employees and host simulated phishing attacks on your business to see where your faults are.
As crucial as investing in cyber training is from a business perspective, employees also play a vital role. The employees will be responsible for undertaking the business training, which will give them the knowledge to identify phishing attempts, social engineering attacks, and password security.
In addition to training, having good cyber habits are essential, ensuring that the employee's passwords are secured and not reused across multiple platforms, managing data safely and not leaving it exposed, ensuring their systems are regularly updated, and also acknowledging the risk of using unsecured WiFi and devices such as USB sticks. All of the above is key to protecting your business against cyber criminals, as your employees will act as the first line of defence and are often heavily targeted.
Managed Service Providers (MSPs) play a critical role in cyber security for many businesses. An MSP is a company that manages and delivers various services to organisations, such as IT Support, Cyber Security, and much more. Businesses of different sizes will often choose to enlist an MSP to provide them with cyber security as it is an area that requires specialists and frequently doesn't have the in-house resources. Even businesses with IT resources rely on MSPs for support, as there is usually too much to do alone. Outsourcing your cyber security requirements allows you to utilise the expertise, systems and software that an MSP already has to enable your business to run stress-free and smoothly.
The majority of your cyber security posture will be managed by either an internal team or outsourced to an MSP, ensuring your organisation runs securely and smoothly. However, your MSP or internal team might not cover some services, like your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. This means your CRM could be vulnerable to cyber threats, which could result in a breach of your wider network or be in breach of GDPR or compliance requirements.
Depending on your setup, these applications might be managed by your internal team or an external provider. Whoever owns the software - whether an in-house team or an outside expert - needs to ensure strong cyber security measures are in place to protect your sensitive data and keep your operations secure unless agreed otherwise.
So, where does the responsibility lie in a business? As every business is different, it's hard to say one general answer. However, the answer is that it should be viewed as a shared responsibility; everyone within the organisation must take a proactive approach to safeguarding their business. Collaboration within your business could be the leadership investing in cyber security training, the managers ensuring their team completes the training, and the employees undertaking the training actively listening, learning and supporting others in the business.
By effectively collaborating with other key stakeholders, you are giving your business the best opportunity to prevent cyber-crime.
Enlisting robust cyber security measures requires a proactive approach. We've provided some practical steps businesses can take to enhance their security posture:
Cyber security is more than just a concern for IT; it demands a comprehensive strategy that engages leadership, staff, IT teams, and external partners to collaborate to diminish risks. By cultivating a culture that prioritises security, allocating resources for training, and employing appropriate technologies, companies can significantly lower their vulnerability to cyber threats. If you're eager to enhance your cyber security measures, our team of specialists at ITRM are ready to assist. Contact us today to explore how we can aid your business in safeguarding against cyber risks.