Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Cybersecurity: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review

Rate this book
No data is completely safe.

Cyberattacks on companies and individuals are on the rise and growing not only in number but also in ferocity. And while you may think your company has taken all the precautionary steps to prevent an attack, no individual, company, or country is safe. Cybersecurity can no longer be left exclusively to IT specialists. Improving and increasing data security practices and identifying suspicious activity is everyone's responsibility, from the boardroom to the break room.

The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review brings you today's most essential thinking on cybersecurity, from outlining the challenges to exploring the solutions, and provides you with the critical information you need to prepare your company for the inevitable hack. The lessons in this book will help you get everyone in your organization on the same page when it comes to protecting your most valuable assets.

1 pages, Audio CD

First published August 27, 2019

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

Boris Groysberg

17 books8 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
21 (14%)
4 stars
65 (44%)
3 stars
48 (32%)
2 stars
11 (7%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
27 reviews
Read
June 4, 2026
( HACKERTECHS001@GMAIL.COM / +1(626)2447310 ) In needs of an expert to help you get cheating translated proofs He and his team has played a role in the industry to catching any cheating partner remotely
If you need help to catch any cheating partner just like he did for me, i recommend you should hire him and thank me later. (Hackertechs001@gmail.com)His name is Henry Goblets, He is the go-to private investigator to help people use to keep an eye on their partners. What is so special about it? His service lets you monitor virtually any activity on your partner’s phone, including text messages, call logs, and even location, listen to outgoing calls, gps live location
Given how easy it is to use, you’ll get started within minutes, all thanks to him as he set it up remotely! He also has one of a few apps to track spouse phone that come with a blocking feature. If his/her phone usage is getting out of hand, you can monitor or block specific apps and websites in one tap. Email this private investigator below that helped me.
Profile Image for Helen Dro.
30 reviews
Read
June 4, 2026
I highly recommend Hackertechs Cyber Service to anyone looking to recover lost/deactivated Facebook/instagram/TikTok, Meta related accounts, traceable scam funds . The important thing is ensure you still have access to the initial email used to create the account.
To Hire -( Hackertechs001@gmail.com )/ ( +16262447310 via telegram or text ) via Mail only.
Have always had trust issues with my spouse so I hired HACKERTECHS TEAM ( Hackertechs001 @ Gmail Com ) to help me gain access into my Wife’s iCloud/iphone to be sure she isn’t a cheat, because I am planning to propose to her very soon, and with the help of this team of private investigators, I successfully gained access into her iCloud, WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat
Profile Image for Jari Pirhonen.
471 reviews15 followers
August 26, 2021
This book is targeted to leaders who want to understand better why cybersecurity is a must topic for boards and top management of all companies, regardless of industry, region or size. High-level enough for non-security experts to read, although active defense and AI in cybersecurity chapters were bit out of place.
Profile Image for Scott Pearson.
904 reviews46 followers
July 16, 2020
As an IT professional, I do not reside in the intended audience of this book. It is geared towards business leaders, not software developers. It provides a high-level and non-technical overview of the field of cybersecurity. Through several authors, it makes the case that cybersecurity cannot be overlooked by all C-suite executives, even in non-technology-based companies. That case is underscored by the direct impact cybersecurity has on a business’ bottom line.

Having in-depth technical experience in the field, I can see this book covers the right issues when it comes to cybersecurity. It does so mindfully, without becoming too technical. As expected from the brand of Harvard Business Review, it addresses the appropriate audience, the business community. Even for a developer like myself, it is helpful to think through how other people at the meeting table view these issues.

The book crescendos with the most interesting topics at the end – artificial intelligence (AI) and data privacy. While this book only devoted one chapter to AI, this chapter underscored the point that investment in AI by all sorts of businesses is becoming necessary to position for the quickly approaching future. In forthcoming editions of this book, I would like to hear more on this topic – or perhaps a separate HBR book.

Several chapters address data privacy concerns among businesses. These are real and present challenges that companies face. Many prominent companies have had to cough out huge payouts from privacy lapses, and prudent leadership would seek to mitigate these risks well. The so-called “right to be left alone” and other ethical issues also are summarized in this book. This field is actively discussed, and HBR hits most of the highlights.

This book is well-tailored to those in business leadership – especially those in non-IT companies. Like it or not, IT continues to become part and parcel of almost every company, and as is made clear in this text, these issues cannot be relegated simply to IT leadership. Cybersecurity is a company-wide issue and requires a company-wide response. IT folks will benefit from understanding how the business views relevant issues and gain financially informed perspective on what issues matter to the business. Nonetheless, business leaders – who can no longer dismiss cybersecurity’s relevance – will benefit the most from this concise yet power-packed summary.

Profile Image for Manthan.
43 reviews
December 11, 2023
Lesson learned while reading book are:

1. We all have biases; when it comes to cybersecurity, avoid them.
2. Focus on risk management rather than on risk mitigation.
3. Boards aren't dealing with cyber threats properly; in fact, they should take more responsibility.
4. Focus on the right process and not just systems.
5. View vulnerabilities as victories, not failures.
6. Target the CEO once in a while through penetration testing to draw the company's attention to the risk of cyber threats (don’t do it without consent).
7. The defense role is much harder to play than offense; attackers only need to win once, while defender has to secure themselves from incidents all the time.
8. Major threats aren’t technological; they are human shortcomings.
9. Train employees on what to do when a breach occurs (also call active response).
10. Phishme is a fake email generator tool to sent a fake email to employees in the company. It sends emails on a regular basis, to check if employees will get lured or tempted to open a tailored email.
11. Employees are the weakest link when it comes to cyber threats, but they can also be a great defense if policies are tailored correctly.
12. An active defense strategy is needed, and hacking back is unethical. (I believe only governments follow this by hacking the hacker).
13. The Georgian government played a trick on a hacker; they named a file "Georgian nato agreement" that a Russian hacker stole from the government's computer. It contained malicious code that activated spyware on hacker’s machine, it took a photo of the hacker, and sent it back to the Georgian government.
14. 75% of Fortune 500 companies are technology companies.
15. The only computer that is fully secure is the one that no one uses.
16. It's better to have one national policy than to have different policies for different states.
17. You're not selling products; you are selling trust.
18. Use the power of AI.
Profile Image for Gil.
97 reviews1 follower
August 30, 2020
This booklet explores different aspects of cybersecurity in 14 short articles. It is mostly aimed at managers of big corporations who need to understand the big picture. But even with this intention, it could go deeper at times. I found many of the articles a bit too shallow.

Article 1: internet insecurity
Security is not possible. Cyber-Hygiene is only effective against automated and amateurish hacks. Sophisticated, patient, well-financed hackers will find a way into their target systems.
The author introduces an approach researched by the IDL, advocating for an apparent return to non-digital times by not using complex digital systems for the most vital parts of a business or system.

Article 2: Security Trends by the Numbers
The authors explore several metrics and look at charts from three major studies to generalize trends for the entire industry.

Article 3: Why Boards aren't dealing with Cyberthreats
Boards are mostly lacking the expertise to deal with Cybersecurity and should seek to spend more time on this topic.

Article 4: The behavioural economics of why executives underinvest in Cybersecurity
Mental models of Cybersecurity might not be accurate. Especially the thought of something that needs a finite amount of investment is dangerous. One way of achieving a new way of thinking about cyber is to target the CEO with an internally initiated attack.

Article 5: Why the entire C-Suite needs to use the same metrics for cyber risk
CEOs should bring together the entire management team to assess cyber risks from different perspectives while still being aware of the other perspectives. A company's culture should encourage employees to talk about risks and vulnerabilities. Attacks should be expected and prepared for.

Article 6: The best Cybersecurity investment you can make is better training
It is false to think that investing in good technology is sufficient to have a reasonable Cybersecurity. In the end, humans are the greatest risk factor and good training for all employees or people interacting with the system (contractors) is the best defense. Expect there will be a breach and train employees how to react.

Article 7: better Cybersecurity starts with fixing your employees' bad habits
Ways to fix bad habits of employees/people:
- have the default version as a very secure one as the default version tends to stick (aka VPN usage, two-factot authentication)
- when postponing updates, postpone to a specific point of time
- tell people what others (especially the best in regard to Cybersecurity) are doing as people tend to do what others are doing
- look at awareness training as a continual process instead of a once-a-year event

Article 8: The key to better Cybersecurity
Keep "best practices" simple.
- avoid overly complex rules as that leads to shortcuts (e.g. password generation)
- when testing the security, adapt it to the group or individual (spear phishing compared to the same phishing mail to all employees)
- avoid disconnections between IT/security and regular employees, especially avoid an adversarial mindset


Article 9: The avoidable mistakes executives continue to make after a data breach
- not notifying customers/stakeholders immediately after a breach (but waiting until the data is being sold on the dark net)
- no good customer service after breaches
- not being honest and authentic and not providing clear and frequent updates
- organizations, and especially upper management must accept accountability and responsibility for responses

Article 10: Active Defense and "Hacking Back"
Active defense goes beyond passive monitoring.
A working definition: "active cyber defense is a direct defensive action to destroy, nullify, or reduce the effectiveness of cyber threats against friendly forces and assets.
Hacking back is another, more aggressive concept that should not be confused with active defense. It includes trying to access the attackers systems and is generally considered to be unethical and probably illegal.


Article 11: Cybersecurity is putting customer trust at the center of competition

Security cannot be proven on the level of whole organisations. That's why it has to be signaled. For costumers to trust corporations it must evident that these corporations are doing everything in their power to keep the customer's data secure. Companies must clearly communicate that breaches are to be expected.

Article 12: privacy and Cybersecurity are converging
Privacy and security, in the past, two separate things, one legal and one technical. Historically, unauthorized access to personal data was the biggest threat. Nowadays, machine learning enables the people with access to data to infer a lot of information.

Article 13: What countries and companies can do when trade and Cybersecurity overlap
In times of globalization, a lot of products (HW and SW) are being imported. The risk of a potential backdoor always exists as one can not examine every product. This article explores different options countries and private companies have in response to that.

Article 14: AI is the future of Cybersecurity, for better and for worse
AI is becoming more capable and will, of course, also be used in cybersecurity, both for hacking and defense.
Traditionally, cybersecurity wants to minimise successful attacks. Perfect security is not possible and can not be achieved.
In the age of superintelligent AIs, a single failure could be enough to destroy or seriously harm human life on a global scale.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Christopher Li.
30 reviews
February 9, 2024
Need to explore the idea of active defense not just in cybersecurity but in other areas, interesting idea to apply to other fields.

Important takeaways:
1. awareness training for employees and comparative notifications/messages for users are effective to create stronger cybersecurity systems(i.e. your neighbors/other users are doing this, so do this)
2. employees or user mistakes are what result in cybersecurity breaches, not a big planned cyberattack
3. cyberattacks are getting more costly, despite higher success rates at stopping them more code means more places where backdoors and errors can allow hackers into the systems.
4. too many steps for security/overcomplexity, such as frequently requried complex password changes can result in employees not doing the said actions, or not paying attention to suggestions at all.
- so, have to make training customized to departments and specific, just like hackers do when hacking.
-too much employee guidance--> overwhelm, overtraining not effective esp. when its too general.
5. Create better relationship b/w IT and other departments, make sure they interact regularly, can hold weekly office hours for IT where others can come to them with issues.
-it department can't be seen as a hindrance for people to achieve goals, should not be compliance adverseries.
6. consider adopting active cyberdefense techniques
- but not active "hacking back", illegal in some cases but sometimes the government might allow it if there are substantial risks to allow the hack or bug to remain unsolved.
33 reviews
Read
June 5, 2026
HACKER TO CONTACT below:
Hackertechs001@Gmail.Com

The truly scary thing about undiscovered lies is that they have a greater capacity to diminish us than exposed ones. When people cheat in any arena, they diminish themselves-they threaten their own self-esteem and their relationships with others by undermining the trust they have in their ability to succeed and in their ability to be true. Cheating is the most disrespectful thing one human being can do to another. If you aren’t happy in a relationship, end it before starting another one. Those who cheat on their partners who are loyal to them; don’t deserve them. It is a trashy attitude to disrespect a person who is loyal in a relationship, by cheating on him or her. If you succeed in cheating someone, don’t think that the person is a fool realize that the person trusted you much, more than you deserve. If you noticed any suspicious act on your partner if he or she is cheating. You need to write to them to help you remotely spoof on the target phone to retrieve text messages, call logs, social media activities, bank information and many more. They deliver best services and get you the peace of mind you deserve as my experience with them reveals everything that have been hidden for years. Email:HACKERTECHS001 @ GMAIL COM
30 reviews
Read
June 5, 2026
Email: HACKERTECHS001@GMAIL.COM
Do you suspect your spouse of cheating? Don’t know how to clarify your doubts? Well, you are not alone. It is natural for a partner to feel insecure about their relationship when their significant other isn’t paying them the attention they once did. You would like to know what’s going on with your spouse or partner. More specifically, you want to know for sure whether your spouse is cheating on you before you end up confronting them. Fortunately, there is a way to do so and be completely discreet about it. All you have to do is to hire this hacker called ( HACKERTECHS ) with good cyber ratings on this forum to help you hack your spouse phone, he’s professional, genuine and reliable. Relay all your problems to him and he’ll help you out I was able to access my cheating partner cellphone in less than 2 hours and it is perfectly setup to ease my insecurities. The monitoring dashboard is so lovely and very easy to use. Only messages him via any of his contacts details below.
Via Telegram - https://t.me/hackertechs001
Text - +1 (626) 244 7310
EMAIL-// HACKERTECHS001 (@) GMAIL (.) COM
Profile Image for Alex Shrugged.
2,832 reviews31 followers
July 29, 2025
This book is focused toward business... and mostly toward business executives. They must make decisions to spend money on security and to choose amongst various strategies. But how can they do that without a reasonable idea of what the problems are? This book gives that general overview so that executives don't fall into the normal errors most businesses do... buy some new technology, check off the boxes and forget about it. Cybersecurity is an ongoing and adaptive process.

Any problems with this book? Yes. It is a little dated in terms of the references used, but this is such a high level overview that it doesn't make much difference. The issues remain the same regardless of what technology is in use. Response to a break in remains the same then and now. This is still a useful book.

I might read it again.
6 reviews
November 2, 2025
This book does an excellent job explaining why cybersecurity isn’t just an IT issue but a full-scale organizational responsibility. The authors emphasize that data protection, risk awareness, and proactive defense need to be understood from the top management down to every employee, a perspective many businesses still overlook.

I found it especially relevant to how companies like https://www.nsocit.com approach cybersecurity blending technical expertise with strategic management to build resilient digital infrastructures. The mix of research insights, real-world examples, and executive-level guidance makes this book a valuable resource for leaders and IT professionals alike.

A concise yet powerful read for anyone looking to strengthen their organization’s security mindset.
Profile Image for Greg.
391 reviews
September 22, 2019
Compared to a decade ago, many of organizations today need to be more concerned about cybersecurity. Maybe that is the reason why you stumbled upon this book to see what’s going on about this topic.

You made the right decision! This book provides the foundational understanding of cybersecurity and how it affects the world of business. These collection of essays are written by the latest thinkers on this subject drawn from their respective researches and experiences.

If you are someone who is looking for fast yet strong foundation of the issues that surrounds the safety of living in a digital world, this book will be a great asset.
29 reviews
Read
June 4, 2026
I highly recommend Hackertechs Cyber Service to anyone who always have trust issues with your spouse. I hired HACKERTECHS TEAM ( Hackertechs001@Gmail.Com ) to help me gain access into my Wife’s iCloud/iphone to be sure she isn’t a cheat, because I am planning to propose to her very soon, and with the help of this team of private investigators, I successfully gained access into her iCloud, WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat. The important thing is ensure you still have access to the initial email used to create the account.

To Hire -( Hackertechs001@gmailcom )/ ( +16262447310 via telegram or text ) via Mail only.
33 reviews
Read
June 5, 2026
Hackertechs001@Gmail.Com
Huge thanks to Hackertechs Spy for helping me uncover the painful truth. I had long suspected my girlfriend was cheating on WhatsApp , and they helped me securely access her phone and social media including Facebook and Snapchat , what I found confirmed everything. Their service was fast, discreet, and incredibly professional. I finally got the clarity I needed, and I’ll always be grateful. So many people recommend them and now I see why. If you need help uncovering the truth, This is the team to trust and can vouch for . Reach them on email:( Hackertechs001 @ Gmail Com )to get the help you need as well.
Profile Image for Kristy.
13 reviews1 follower
August 24, 2020
Another great book by Harvard Business Review Press, as always.

I especially like the chapter about cyberattack trends by industries and costs incurred. Basically any company in any industry can be the next victim of cyberattack. But it’s alarming that Boards and management are generally not well prepared for dealing with this challenge.

Cybersecurity is no longer the remit of IT and risk specialists, but the Board’s responsibilities. I hope more business leaders can pick up and read this book - it’s an easy read that can be finished in a good few hours.
Profile Image for Arun Narayanaswamy.
501 reviews6 followers
October 29, 2023
There are only a few HBR books that I like. The reason for dislike typically is disjoint stories forced into a book to make it book worthy. In most cases there is no relation between the articles. This one is a tad bit different. The one piece that I liked is the chapter on emerging trends and challenges in cybersecurity, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, active defense, and data privacy.
The authors use clear and simple language, case studies, and practical recommendations to illustrate their points and motivate readers to take action.
30 reviews
Read
June 5, 2026
Have always had trust issues with my spouse so I hired HACKERTECHS TEAM ( Hackertechs001 @ Gmail Com ) to help me gain access into my Wife’s iCloud/iphone to be sure she isn’t a cheat, because I am planning to propose to her very soon, and with the help of this team of private investigators, I successfully gained access into her iCloud, WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat and now I can monitor what ever she does on her Iphone.. thank you so much HACKERTECHS TEAM. If you need this kind of service, then hire them via the Gmail- ( Hackertechs001@Gmail.Com ) / (+1 (626) 244-7310)
Profile Image for Jake Sylvestre.
84 reviews31 followers
February 17, 2020
This book was so watered down that it might as well have been waterlogged.

Zero explanation or attempts at trying to correlate current risk frameworks to business impact. Elementary analysis of board buy in for cybersecurity initiatives.

You'd be better off reading Equifax's 10-k, or scrolling through shodan for an hour.
27 reviews
Read
June 4, 2026
HOW TO CATCH YOUR CHEATING SPOUSE
(HACKERTECHS001@GMAIL.COM ): Transparency is one of the most important factor in a relationship or marriage, You feel your spouse is cheating/hiding secrets from you? I can get his/her device clone and you can have full access texts, social media, and more without their knowledge. This Private investigator called HACKERTECHS Service will help.
100% guaranteed
Profile Image for Ankur.
76 reviews
July 23, 2021
Provides some basic information that will help business leaders understand about the importance of Cybersecurity, Cyber Risks & a few potential actions that should be taken. Some of the ideas mentioned in the book seemed less practical & more idealistic / academic.
Profile Image for Asmaa - Bliifee.
57 reviews14 followers
February 20, 2020
Quite informative. To be honest, the last few chapters about the future of cybersecurity and AI were pretty scary.
Profile Image for Ali.
483 reviews
April 19, 2021
a bit shallow for technical folks but for business leaders a good read on essentials of cybersecurity with great takeaways at the end of each chapter/article.
Profile Image for Nasir Ali.
122 reviews3 followers
June 12, 2021
Good intro for cybersecurity for executives
Profile Image for Tom.
149 reviews5 followers
January 17, 2022
wat te algemeen om echt nuttig te zijn
95 reviews1 follower
June 23, 2022
The book is a lit dated in some areas, but a lot of topics in the book are still important to know and understand.

It’s a short book and worth the read.
Profile Image for maesa.
16 reviews1 follower
February 16, 2024
Only reading this book for work purpose, but I found it boring.
Profile Image for Naing Tan.
96 reviews1 follower
December 23, 2024
Sound insights. It ends by saying we need AI to defend the hackers using AI. It’s gonna be a terrific future.
Profile Image for Mars.
108 reviews5 followers
March 9, 2024
Very basic. General knowledge that covers all aspects of cyber security.

Highly informative for a beginner.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews