Security Neglect: Like an Unserviced Car, It’s Only a Matter of Time
Cybersecurity is a lot like maintaining a car. At first, everything runs fine; but skip enough oil changes, ignore the odd rattle and before you know it, you’re broken down on the side of the road. Or worse, you’ve triggered a multi-car pileup on the highway.
Businesses that don’t regularly reassess their security tools and processes face the same fate. Over time, outdated or redundant measures start causing more harm than good. Instead of protecting the business, they slow it down, frustrate employees and leave gaps for attackers to exploit. And let’s be clear: It’s not a matter of if a business will experience a security lapse, but when. The only real question that needs to be answered is whether you catch it early or deal with the fallout later.
The Hidden Cost of Outdated Security
Bad security practices can not only expose businesses to breaches, but actively hurt productivity within the company. Take password policies, for example. Forcing employees to change passwords constantly doesn’t make systems safer, it just leads to weaker passwords (or sticky notes with login details). So, what is the better approach? Enterprise password management systems that enforce strong credentials without creating unnecessary friction.
Then there’s endpoint security. Plenty of businesses still rely on outdated antivirus tools designed for a different era of cyber threats. The same goes for manual patching, if your IT team is still rolling out updates by hand, you’re already behind. Attackers don’t wait weeks for you to catch up.
According to the 2024 Security Budget Benchmark Report, businesses around the world allocate an average of 13.2% of their IT budgets to cybersecurity. So, for a company spending $3,000 a month on IT services, that means about $396 goes toward cybersecurity. But if those funds go toward outdated or ineffective tools, you’re not getting the protection your business needs, you’re just throwing money into the wind.
When a Breakdown Becomes a Pileup
A poorly maintained car doesn’t just stop working, it becomes a hazard for everyone else on the road. In cybersecurity, the same principle applies. The average cost of a data breach in 2024 was $4.88 million, a 10% increase from the year before. A single weak point, like an unpatched cloud configuration, can have a ripple effect that impacts customers, partners and entire supply chains.
Modern businesses run on cloud-based tools. Employees interact with multiple platforms daily and without proper security controls, sensitive data can easily go places it shouldn’t. The solution isn’t to lock everything down so tightly that work grinds to a halt — it’s about smart automation, strong access controls and continuous monitoring.
How to Keep Security Roadworthy
There’s no magic fix for security, but there are clear steps businesses should take:
- Listen to your employees. If security processes make their jobs harder, they’ll find ways around them (65% of employees will bypass organizational cybersecurity policies). Automate where possible and ensure security measures actually help rather than hinder productivity.
- Eliminate the dead weight. Security tools accumulate over time, but not all of them stay relevant. Audit what you’re using and cut out anything redundant. More tools don’t always mean better security.
- Test, test and test again. Security isn’t “set and forget.” Regular tabletop exercises, internal testing and external audits are non-negotiable.
- Think beyond compliance. Checking boxes doesn’t mean you’re secure. Companies need real-time monitoring, strong AI-driven threat detection and a security culture that adapts as threats evolve.
The Road Ahead
The world is changing fast. Two years ago, AI-based attacks weren’t keeping me up at night. Now, phishing attacks use deepfake audio and video to mimic real people, making them harder than ever to detect. Security strategies that worked five years ago won’t cut it today.
Customers expect companies to take security seriously, not just as a compliance requirement but as a fundamental part of doing business. If you’re not regularly reassessing security, cutting out outdated tools and staying ahead of new threats, it’s only a matter of time before something breaks.
Security is like car maintenance – you either keep up with it, or you deal with the consequences. And by the time you see the check engine light, it might already be too late.
