What are the costs and benefits of developing cybersecurity programs in business?

Developing security programs for business can be costly but extremely beneficial. Cybersecurity analysts work hard to build security protocols for each business within their given budget. Most of the cost associated with developing cybersecurity programs for businesses is financial. The amount of time and effort it takes to develop and the size of the organization the program is for can make costs increase exponentially. Another associated cost is resources, it can be in the form of hardware like servers for management and backups and in the form of personnel to maintain and upkeep them. Although costs can stack up quickly with program development, the benefits can often outweigh them. Creating security programs can lead to contingencies like offshore backup servers to help operations continue even in the event of a natural disaster; also, in the event of a break, these contingencies allow for a reset point so operations can more easily recover. Programs also provide tangible evidence that assets are protected, assuring stakeholders. Security programs also build a sense of trust with clientele as they can have faith that their data is secure, this allows for more business opportunities as organizations with well implemented security programs will have an easier time persuading possible partners as they know proper steps have been to eliminate as much risk as possible. Programs that are implemented from the top down allow for everyone at the organization to have more confidence in their daily duties as they would be able to more easily identify possible threats such as phishing schemes. A program that practices staying up to date on the latest security procedures and attacks also reduces the risk that attacks will go unnoticed either by an unknown backdoor entry or a new way of breaking through current security software and hardware. While security programs can be costly to create and upkeep, the costs associated with most attacks will far outweigh the money put into defense.