Did you know that 60 percent of small businesses close within six months of a cyber attack? This statistic is alarming, yet many organizations still operate under the illusion that they can achieve perfect security. They pour money into the latest tools, believing that more technology will make them invulnerable. But the truth is, breaches are not a matter of if, but when. I have seen this play out repeatedly in my work with companies of all sizes. The real goal should not be to prevent every attack, but to build systems that can withstand and recover from them quickly. This shift in mindset is what separates resilient organizations from those that crumble under pressure. Consider a mid-sized retail company I advised last year. They had invested heavily in advanced firewalls and intrusion detection systems. Their IT team was confident in their defenses. Then, one employee clicked on a phishing email, and within hours, sensitive customer data was compromised. The company had all the right tools, but they had overlooked the human element and had no clear plan for responding to an incident. They spent days scrambling to contain the breach, and the reputational damage was significant. This pattern is common. We often focus too much on prevention and not enough on detection and response. In many parts of the world, like in emerging markets across Africa, businesses are taking a different approach. With limited resources, they cannot afford to stack up expensive security products. Instead, they prioritize mobile-first solutions and community-based threat sharing. For example, in Kenya, fintech companies use simple SMS alerts and local networks to detect anomalies quickly. This adaptive method often outperforms rigid, tool-heavy strategies common in Western countries. It is a reminder that security is not about having the most gadgets, it is about understanding your specific risks and building capabilities around them. The conventional wisdom says to spend more on blocking threats. I challenge that. Instead, allocate resources to improve how you detect and respond to incidents. This does not mean ignoring prevention entirely, but balancing your investments. Start by conducting a basic risk assessment. Identify what data or systems are most critical to your operations. Then, implement multi-factor authentication for all user accounts. This simple step can prevent many common attacks. Next, train your employees regularly on recognizing phishing attempts. Use real-world examples in these sessions to make the training relatable. Finally, develop an incident response plan. Outline who does what when a breach occurs, and practice it through tabletop exercises. For tools, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework provides a flexible structure to guide your efforts. OWASP Top 10 highlights common web application risks. OpenVAS is a free tool that can help with vulnerability scanning. To know if you are on the right track, measure your mean time to detect and respond to security incidents. If this time decreases, you are improving. Another metric is the reduction in successful phishing tests during training. Security is a journey, not a destination. By accepting that perfection is unattainable, you can focus on what truly matters, resilience and adaptability. This approach will serve you better in the long run, no matter where you are or what resources you have.
