To be competitive in this era, a company might as well be required to be online. So, where does one start when attempting to set up a cyber security program for their business? Start with the three basic parts of any information technology system; hardware, software, and personnel. Without hardware, there is no system at all. There are many software applications to choose from, and after everything else, there are the people who will run and maintain this system. These items can easily combine to make an effective cybersecurity program. Making sense of these parts before connecting to the internet will help a business combat cybercrime from the start. Making sense of the costs of these parts will reduce the stress of creating a system. It helps to think that the benefits of having the finished product to work with outweigh the incurred start-up costs.

While hardware is the key portion of any information technology system, it is surprisingly not the most expensive part. According to a DHS report in 2020, the overall cost for associated hardware was about five percent of the total budget for each of the 309 agencies tracked through the Office of Management and Budget (Harper & Mabe, 2020). This percentage can be scaled down due to the diversity of hardware on the market. There are numerous products to choose from and those products are relatively inexpensive and, normally, easy to acquire. If a company wants to go all in and build its system from the ground up, it can look into separate security components. For example, secure SSDs and hard drives can cost from about eighty USD to about 200 USD depending on the retailer. For an easier start, items like these can come already built into a complete PC that can be found for sale online at any major manufacturer. There is secure hardware available for any size of system, from hobby businesses to mega-corporations. Any company can set up a secure network from the start with the right components purchased from electronics retailers.

The benefits of having suitable hardware for a cybersecurity program cannot be understated. As reported in the “2023 Cybersecurity Almanac” in Cybercrime Magazine, “43 percent of cyber-attacks target small businesses, of which 60 percent of victims go out of business within six months” (Freeze, 2023). This figure suggests a large number of small businesses are so negatively affected by a cyber-attack that those companies shutter following an attack. Spending a few hundred dollars on a good system from the start can save a company thousands of dollars and more in the future.

Choosing the right software for a business can be daunting. There are so many operating systems and even more addon applications to work with. The vast majority of businesses will most likely run on the most widely used systems. Due to the popularity of certain operating systems, this software can cost as much as the personal computer system that it runs on. This may sound expensive, but the software comes with advantages such as support and continuous security patches. There are also antivirus applications and other security features that one can consider when setting up a system. Harper & Mabe (2020), show that the combined software cost was approximately 6 percent of the operating budget of each of the agencies that they researched. This is more than hardware, however; when scaled down, this might add up to a few hundred USD for a small business. Many organizations can help a small business decide which software is best. Some of these organizations offer free advice and others charge low fees depending on the size of the company. While there is a cost to putting in place a good, secure software, the benefits are enormous when compared to the possibility of losing the business altogether.

People are an integral part of cybersecurity and the only reason that it exists. Personnel were also by far the costliest part of the researched programs. Harper & Mabe (2020) show that support and training cost around 17 percent of the budgets of each of the operating agencies that they considered. The researchers looked at operating aspects of the agencies such as contractor support and training of personnel. Smaller businesses are less likely to bring in a large number of contractors if any at all. Therefore, this cost will be far less for a small company and might be negated with the right business networking, such as using free sites and reading up on the basics to gain the appropriate level of knowledge to defend the business. Training is a must at any level. The associated costs depend on the nature of the business model. A small clothing store will not need the level of training of a multi-national technology company. For this reason, the costs associated with training are much less in terms of the annual percentage of a budget. However, ensuring people understand cybercrime and cyber security and how to combat these issues is crucial in developing an optimal cyber security program for any business. The benefits of such training cannot be overstated.

Making sense of the costs associated with hardware, software, and personnel that are necessary to start a cybersecurity program is essential. Hardware, without which there is no system, is the least costly component of the network at about five percent of an annual budget. Software, on average, will run approximately six percent annually. With the physical system in place, personnel to run it and the associated training for those people will take around 17 percent of a company’s budget. These prices can be reduced with the right personal networking skills and a small amount of research. This might seem like a large number, especially to a small business, however; without these parts in place, the entire business enterprise is at stake no matter the size.

Freeze, D. (2023, May 24). 2023 Cybersecurity Almanac: 100 Facts, Figures, Predictions, And Statistics. Cybercrime Magazine. https://cybersecurityventures.com/cybersecurity-almanac-2023/

Harper, D., & Mabe, R. (2020). The Cost of Cybersecurity for IT Systems FY20 Joint Information Technology and Software Cost Forum. https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/cyber_cost_brief_it_cast_25_aug_2020_harper_mabe.pdf