Cybersecurity as a Matter of Competitive Advantage

Understanding cybersecurity as more than the sole fulfillment of regulatory requirements
Oliver Stahl | Roman Baecker | Dr.-Ing. Michael Bartholdt | Sebastian Roth | Arber Sejdiu
Jan 2021 | White Paper | English

Cybersecurity as a Matter of Competitive Advantage

Understanding cybersecurity as more than the sole fulfillment of regulatory requirements

Cybersecurity is becoming a growing matter of competitive advantage for companies as a secure product or service turns out to be a unique selling point in an environment of ever-increasing cyber threats. The trend towards cybersecurity is driven by increasing connectivity – in 2030, the average consumer will own ten connected devices. Further, pressure from stakeholders such as customers and policymakers is growing. The management must prepare their companies by adopting a holistic cybersecurity framework over the whole life cycle, allowing for cross-functional and -hierarchical collaboration. All four framework levers – cybersecurity strategy, processes, organization and cultural awareness – should be in line with the company’s cyber risk profile. This white paper provides insights on cybersecurity and on the proposed framework.

2015

the German Parliament and numerous parliamentary office computers were infected by spy software, requiring the Parliament’s IT system to be taken off-grid for several days.

70%

 of German companies reported having suffered a cyberattack in 2017.

2030

the average consumer will own ten connected devices, showing how much cybersecurity will become a winning argument across industries.

Management Summary
  • Cybersecurity is becoming a matter of competitive advantage for companies due to increasing connectivity and pressure from diverse stakeholders such as customers and policymakers
  • Preparing for cybersecurity requires the adoption of a holistic framework/management system, which allows for cross-functional and -hierarchical collaboration
  • A holistic approach to cybersecurity is achieved through aligning four well-known levers: strategy, processes, organization, and culture with technology as enabler
  • Being cyber secure means covering the whole life cycle - from building in preventive protection into your products' and company's ecosystems, to effectively detecting and responding to potential intrusions through covering vulnerabilities by updating routines
  • As cybersecurity is people-driven, ensure cultural awareness by adopting new methods of training and communication, such as a cybersecurity attack simulation
  • Keep up the pace with new trends in order to anticipate cyber risk, such as the lack of a qualified workforce

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