Rodney Lee
Chief Executive Officer (Malaysia)
In today’s hyperconnected world, cyber breaches are no longer an abstract possibility, they are an inevitability. Much like the seasonal flu, breaches are here to stay. We may take precautions such as vaccinations, hygiene, and healthy routines to reduce our chances of falling sick, but complete immunity is impossible. The same principle applies in cybersecurity. The firewalls, encryptions, EDRs, NDRs and monitoring tools help minimize risks, but they cannot guarantee total safety.
Preparedness: The True Differentiator
What makes the difference is preparedness – our ability to detect the early “symptoms” of a breach and respond before the situation spirals out of control. Just as we learn to watch out for fevers, coughs, or fatigue when flu season arrives, organizations must train teams to spot the subtle indicators of compromise or indicators of attacks through unusual logins, unexpected file movements, or suspicious network activity.
Preparedness, however, is not a solo exercise. It requires a coordinated and collective effort across the organization. It helps even, if the organization has a culture of cybersecurity across the different levels of work or management. Preparedness rests on four (S.A.F.E.) essential considerations:
1. Spot Symptoms Early
Cyberattacks rarely start with fireworks. They creep in quietly, leaving small clues behind. Training teams to recognize those weak signals, like suspicious emails, unauthorized access attempts, or abnormal system behavior is the first step toward faster detection and containment.
2. Act Fast
Knowing what to do in the first minutes of an incident can mean the difference between a small disruption and a major crisis. Organizations need a clear playbook that outlines who to call, what systems to isolate, and how to contain the threat before it spreads.
3. Foster Team Readiness
Response cannot fall on one individual or department. Every function, from IT and operations to communications and legal, must understand how to act in unison. Regular drills and tabletop exercises ensure that the whole team knows what to do under pressure.
4. Establish Role Clarity
During an incident, confusion is the enemy. Everyone in the organization must know their role: who leads the response, who handles stakeholders, who informs regulators, and who restores systems. Clear accountability accelerates recovery and minimizes damage.
Building Resilient Teams, Not Just Strong Walls
Cybersecurity today is less about building unbreakable walls and more about building resilient teams. Clarity of responsibility, speed of execution, and effective communication are the equivalent of a strong immune system. These thoughts enable organizations to withstand attacks, minimize damage, and recover faster.
In the end, breaches are inevitable. The real differentiator is how well-prepared we are to respond. I say it again, “PREPAREDNESS IS THE NEW IMMUNITY”, and it is what will separate organizations that stumble during a breach from those that stand strong and resilient in the face of inevitable threats.
