Side Benefits of Cybersecurity Measures an Empirical Study

Cybersecurity is mostly seen as a necessary evil to protect us from the increasing threat of hacker attacks. While this is definitely justified in terms of the damage caused, there are also unexpected benefits to this growing concern that are rarely highlighted. Cyber attacks have the potential to result in financial loss and reputation damage for an organization, so it is a given that enhancing cybersecurity will lead to protecting against these attacks. However, the other advantages are rarely highlighted. While many companies believe that cybersecurity is a burden and obstruct their processes, in this empirical study we examine the positive effects of security measures on organizations. Our primary hypothesis is that increased focus on cybersecurity improves organizational resilience, process maturity and product quality. We show how technological controls and security processes motivate the organization to keep its processes current, well structured, and well thought out. We also find that the concern for cybersecurity opens the doors for innovation, which drives growth. By examining the main areas covered by security measures: people, processes, and technology, we conclude that the investment made in these areas for cybersecurity risk mitigation, or as a response to regulations, also have significant benefits outside the security domain.