• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

JP Cornerstone

Just another Cornerstone Accelerator site

  • JP Cornerstone
  • About
    • About JP Cornerstone
    • Code of Ethics
    • Professional Practice Guidelines
    • External Privacy Notice
  • Offices
    • Stockholm
    • Helsinki
    • Oslo
    • Copenhagen
  • Services
    • Executive Search
    • Board Search
    • Leadership Consulting
    • Interim Management
    • JPC Selection
  • Insights
  • News
  • Contact

Why Executives Need Cybersecurity Training

February 3, 2021 by Cornerstone International Group Leave a Comment

Cybersecurity is no longer a niche issue for tech companies. With our growing reliance on online platforms, it’s very quickly becoming a priority for everyone — one that could bring about serious threats to national security if not taken seriously.

Case in point: In March 2018, the City of Atlanta faced a widespread ransomware attack that crippled critical digital systems, including their police department, judicial offices, and their payment processing databases. The cybercriminals responsible demanded $51,000 worth of Bitcoin, or they would delete all the data they acquired.

Take note that this occurred long before the pandemic took place, meaning we’re more reliant on data now than we were at the time. That only makes us even more vulnerable to cyber threats.

And when it comes to the business sector, executives are a prime target for cybercriminals. They typically have more access to company data than the average employee and their devices likely hold confidential information and valuable trade secrets. Executives face more cyber threats than other employees, which is precisely why they need cybersecurity training.

Cybersecurity, an Integral Part of Company Culture

In the digital age, no-one’s data is 100% safe. If left unprotected, cybercriminals could either steal it or, worse, use it against you. It isn’t enough for there to be technical cybersecurity measures in place. Employees across the board must also be aware of the risks, and this can be ensured by cultivating a culture of cybersecurity in the company. One way to expedite the process is to begin with yourself.

Corporate executives who have a solid grasp of cybersecurity concepts can help instill a strong cybersecurity culture in the company. It encourages employees — not just  those in the IT department — to take the initiative. And when the whole company understands the importance of cybersecurity, data protection becomes much more manageable.

Cybersecurity Training Options

Another way to cultivate a cybersecurity culture is to implement training programs for employees across the board. Employees and executives alike benefit from learning the basics, but executives should always make an effort to learn more.

You can hire a C-level cybersecurity professional who can hold in-house workshops. But this can prove difficult, given the current shortage of cyber professionals. Another option is to tap into third-party cybersecurity companies that specialize in training in the business sector. They offer various programs ranging from simple lecture-style briefings to interactive, incident response exercises.

Executives serious about building their cybersecurity credentials — as well as those working in particularly at-risk industries — can also consider university-level training leading to an online cybersecurity degree. The courses let learners complete coursework 100% online through virtual labs that pull case studies from the latest business headlines.

Moreover, being online and flexible means that these courses can be done alongside a busy job. As a result, executives come out of the program with real-world training in offensive and defensive cybersecurity, and ready to face the challenges that lie ahead in the cyber business landscape.
Both before and after these training programs, it would be wise to hire a third-party organization to assess the state of the company’s cybersecurity. These organizations can assess cybersecurity using both qualitative and quantitative measures — from gauging the technical measures to interviewing regular employees about their cybersecurity knowledge and practices.

Doing this gives executives an unbiased perspective of their security measures, allowing them to recalibrate as needed. It is vital in building a secure database and a healthy cybersecurity culture in the company.

Filed Under: Cornerstone Blog

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Attracting Leadership Talent in a Private Company
  • It’s early in 2025 – what has changed?
  • Thriving in an Era of Continual Business Reinvention
  • Managing Multigenerational Workplaces Across Cultures – Part 2
  • Managing Multigenerational Workplaces Across Cultures

Recent Comments

    Archives

    • March 2025
    • February 2025
    • December 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • January 2024
    • November 2023
    • October 2023
    • May 2023
    • March 2023
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • February 2018
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • July 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • October 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • October 2014
    • June 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • December 2013
    • August 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • August 2012
    • May 2012
    • March 2012
    • January 2012
    • December 2011
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • September 2011
    • July 2011
    • May 2011
    • March 2011
    • January 2011
    • December 2010
    • August 2010
    • June 2010
    • May 2010
    • April 2010
    • March 2010
    • February 2010
    • January 2010
    • December 2009
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • September 2009
    • August 2009
    • July 2009
    • June 2009
    • May 2009
    • April 2009
    • March 2009
    • February 2009
    • January 2009
    • December 2008
    • November 2008
    • October 2008
    • September 2008
    • August 2008
    • July 2008
    • June 2008
    • April 2008
    • March 2008
    • February 2008
    • January 2008
    • December 2007
    • September 2007
    • August 2007
    • June 2007
    • April 2007
    • December 2006
    • November 2006
    • September 2006
    • August 2006
    • July 2006
    • June 2006
    • March 2006
    • February 2006
    • January 2006
    • November 2005
    • October 2005
    • September 2005
    • August 2005
    • July 2005
    • June 2005
    • May 2005
    • April 2005
    • March 2005
    • February 2005
    • January 2005
    • December 2004
    • November 2004
    • October 2004
    • September 2004
    • August 2004
    • July 2004
    • June 2004
    • May 2004
    • April 2004
    • March 2004
    • February 2004
    • January 2004
    • December 2003
    • November 2003
    • October 2003
    • September 2003
    • August 2003
    • July 2003
    • June 2003
    • May 2003
    • April 2003
    • March 2003
    • February 2003
    • January 2003
    • December 2002
    • November 2002

    Categories

    • Cornerstone Blog
    • Uncategorized

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org

    Copyright © 2025 · JP Cornerstone · Sitemap

    Website Development by LimeCuda