New book Secure by Design shares leader's guide to keeping cybercriminals at bay

In his new book Secure by Design, cybersecurity expert René-Sylvain Bédard outlines a comprehensive framework to help business leaders proactively protect their companies from cyber threats. Drawing on nearly thirty years of experience in technology and cybersecurity, René-Sylvain has worked with organisations of all sizes, governments, and across industries such as banking, telecommunications, and aerospace to implement a robust cybersecurity strategy.

Debunking a number of myths around cybersecurity, René-Sylvain warns against business leaders thinking that cyber breaches ‘only happen to others’, that a business can be too small to be attacked, or that they have nothing worth stealing. Instead, Secure by Design makes it clear to readers that it’s the value their data has to their business’ ability to function that makes it a target for cybercriminals, not the data itself. By drawing on real-world case studies, René-Sylvain illustrates how businesses regardless of their industry can fall victim to cyberattacks and what they can do to prevent them.

Through his managed security service provider, Indominus Managed Security, René-Sylvain has developed the tried-and-tested SECURE method - Survey, Educate, Construct, Unify, Review, and Evolve - outlined in the book. This six-step process takes leaders from total unawareness to complete understanding, by first mapping out the critical data, before building the necessary defences and consistently assessing their effectiveness and suitability. As René-Sylvain reinforces, ‘staying ahead of cybercriminals is as necessary as regularly updating the alarm system in your house.’ In a field in which many leaders continue to feel fearful and uncertain, the SECURE model provides some much-needed clarity over what they are protecting and what they are protecting it from.

Furthermore, Secure by Design emphasises that cybersecurity is not solely about technology, it’s about people and processes. With many attacks a result of individual errors, the importance of organisation-wide education and accountability cannot be underestimated. Creating a ‘culture of cybersecurity’ means making this just as much a part of life in a company as regulating the air-conditioning or refilling the coffee machine – something that hardly even needs conscious thought.

As the influence and use-cases of emerging technologies grow, so too do the dangers of new cyber attacks and data breaches. With this in mind, René-Sylvain also explores cutting-edge developments, such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, and the significant implications and opportunities these hold for cybersecurity.

Secure by Design is the essential read for business owners, founders and managers who want to proactively safeguard their companies from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, and ensure their long-term resilience in an increasingly digital world.

Secure by Design by René-Sylvain Bédard is available on Amazon and all good bookshops from Thursday 6th March.