Breaking Down Risk Management Silos

For years, cybersecurity was seen as IT’s job—a technical problem managed by specialists, hidden away in server rooms and isolated from the broader organization. With cyber risk now a board-level issue and the scale of threats growing exponentially, every department and employee must now play an active role in addressing it.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. According to the 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, here were 10,626 confirmed data breaches in 2023, marking a two-fold increase over 2022. 68% of breaches involve human factors—errors, misjudgments, or vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report highlights the scale of the problem, with the global average cost of a breach reaching $4.88 million. These statistics underscore the critical need for organizations to address cyber risk as a comprehensive, organization-wide responsibility, rather than confining it to IT departments alone.

These numbers drive home the reality that cyber risk isn’t just about technology; it’s about people, behaviors, and culture.

The Complexity of Risk

Risk is a challenging concept for human brains to grapple with. Psychologically, we struggle to properly evaluate exposure, materiality, and accountability—especially when it comes to something as abstract as 'cyber threats'. We work digitally, use data, and interact online, but these everyday actions don’t always feel connected to broader risks. That disconnection is key as acknowledgement of risk is a core enabling factor of both collective cyber responsibility and and empowered security culture. 

This disconnect is also why traditional approaches to risk management—including documenting processes or implementing technical solutions to control behavior—often fall short. While processes and tools are critical, they aren’t enough on their own.

The glue that holds everything together is culture—the shared beliefs, behaviors, and practices that shape how an organization understands and responds to risk.

The Role of Human Resilience Strategy

A strong human resilience strategy goes beyond processes and technology to focus on the cultural fabric of the organization. It asks critical questions like:

• What is your risk tolerance? Are your policies aligned with your organization’s appetite for risk?
• Do your people understand and agree with it? This is concordance—shared understanding and buy-in.
• Do your employees respect the risks they face? Risk perception influences how seriously people take emerging threats like AI or social engineering.

These factors aren’t just abstract—they’re measurable. Risk culture can and should be assessed to create shared meaning and drive alignment across the organization.

Breaking Down Silos with Culture

Cyber risk has traditionally been siloed, with IT or IS teams expected to “own” it. But risk culture provides a mechanism to unify the organization. By creating shared language and meaning, you can align departments like HR, Legal, Operations, and Finance around a common mission.

Objectives and KPIs can only take you so far; what truly drives change is clarity on why something matters and how it’s achieved. This cultural alignment is what enables organizations to:

• De-risk digital transformation by ensuring employees adopt secure behaviors.
• Respond to emerging threats like AI with a healthy respect for risk.
• Keep everyone on the same page through shared understanding and accountability.

Assumptions are dangerous in the world of cyber risk. Don’t assume your teams know what’s expected or how to act. You need to measure, communicate, and validate.

Actionable Questions to Drive Change

As you evaluate your organization’s readiness to address cyber risk, start by asking:

1. Does every department understand their role in managing cyber risk?
2. Have we assessed our risk culture and its alignment with organizational goals?
3. Do our employees understand and respect the risks they face, especially new ones like AI?
4. Are our current processes and technologies supported by the right behaviors and mindsets?
5. What steps are we taking to unify teams and break down silos in risk management?

The Path Forward

Cyber risk isn’t just an information security team problem—it’s everyone’s responsibility. We say that (a lot) but putting that into action takes a specific strategy that is based on your business reality, the context of your operating environment and the risk factors in your human workforce. 

Breaking down silos requires a strategic focus on culture, communication, and shared accountability. By fostering a strong risk culture and integrating human resilience into your organization’s strategy, you can prepare for change, address emerging threats, and ensure your workforce is aligned and empowered.

We can help you untangle the complexities of risk culture with strategic advisory, human resilience program building, and culture baselines. Let’s work together to turn cybersecurity into a shared mission that unites your entire organization.