Why Many People Still Undervalue Cybersecurity Despite Breaches

Despite cybersecurity advances and breaches, many customers still underestimate security. Learn why and how businesses can better communicate its importance.

Introduction

Cybersecurity has evolved immensely over the past few decades. Billions of dollars have been spent on innovative technologies, security experts are in high demand, and entire industries have emerged to tackle the growing threat landscape. Yet, despite the years of advancements, one question remains disturbingly relevant: why do recurring breaches continue to happen, and why don’t customers fully understand the importance of cybersecurity?

The Beginning: A Slow Recognition of Cybersecurity Risks

In the early days of the internet, the concept of cybersecurity was largely academic. Few individuals or businesses understood the risks that lurked in the digital world. The first computer viruses were seen as mere nuisances rather than dangerous threats capable of shutting down entire systems. Even as companies began adopting more sophisticated technology, security was often viewed as an afterthought. The primary focus was on innovation and growth, with little attention paid to the vulnerabilities created along the way.

By the late 1990s, the first major breaches started making headlines. Companies began to understand that the digital age came with risks. Yet, even with this newfound awareness, the true importance of cybersecurity did not immediately resonate with customers or business leaders.

The Middle: High-Profile Breaches and Rising Costs

In 2017, the world witnessed one of the largest cybersecurity breaches ever recorded—the Equifax data breach. Over 147 million people had their personal information exposed. Financial details, social security numbers, and driver’s licenses were stolen, leaving millions vulnerable to identity theft. What made this breach particularly striking was that it could have been easily avoided through a patch that had been available for months.

This incident, along with countless others— Target in 2013, Yahoo in 2016, Marriott in 2018—became wake-up calls for industries worldwide. Despite these clear examples of how devastating a breach could be, the general attitude towards cybersecurity remained alarmingly casual.

Businesses often viewed cybersecurity as a necessary evil rather than a strategic priority, and many customers simply assumed their data was safe because they didn’t understand how frequently breaches occurred. Many still believed, “It won’t happen to me.”

The Present: Recurring Breaches, Lingering Ignorance

Companies invest billions in cybersecurity tools and teams. Terms like “zero trust,” “ransomware,” and “multi-factor authentication” are common in business lexicons. Yet, despite all of this, breaches still occur—sometimes with alarming regularity. According to a 2023 report, nearly 70% of organizations experienced at least one significant security breach in the past two years.

Why do customers consistently underestimate the importance of security? One reason is the "it won't happen to me" mentality. Whether it's individuals or businesses, many people assume they are too small or insignificant to become a target.

This false sense of security is further reinforced by the belief that security is an IT department issue. Customers trust that if they've purchased antivirus software or signed up for cloud storage with built-in protection, they're safe.

Understanding the Mindset: "It Won't Happen to Me"

This mindset, known as the "It Won't Happen to Me" fallacy, is one of the greatest obstacles to achieving widespread cybersecurity awareness. Individuals often believe they aren't interesting targets for cybercriminals, assuming that only large companies or high-profile figures are at risk. However, this misconception is far from the truth.

Cybercriminals often target smaller businesses and individuals precisely because they know security is weaker. Whether it's a phishing email that tricks someone into giving away their credentials or a ransomware attack that locks up critical systems, the consequences of a breach are very real. Yet, too often, customers fail to take even basic steps to protect themselves, like using strong passwords or enabling two-factor authentication.

The Disconnect: Why Customers Don’t Understand

What customers often fail to realize is the true cost of a breach. Beyond the financial damage, businesses suffer from reputational harm, regulatory fines, and the loss of consumer trust.

Several factors contribute to the ongoing disconnect between the reality of cyber threats and customers’ perceptions:

• First, cybersecurity can seem intimidating or overly technical. Concepts like encryption, firewalls, or vulnerability assessments may sound complex, causing people to feel overwhelmed and disengaged.
• Second, breaches often occur behind the scenes. When a large company is hacked, customers are notified of the breach after it has happened. This "invisible" nature of cybercrime can make the threat seem distant or abstract, further detaching customers from the importance of personal cybersecurity habits.
• Finally, the long-term effects of security incidents are sometimes invisible but devastating. Customers may leave because they no longer feel safe sharing their data.

So why do many customers still not take security seriously? The answer may lie in the gap between understanding and prioritization. Many understand security conceptually but fail to integrate it as a priority in their operations, viewing it as a last-minute concern or an unfortunate "afterthought."

The Future: Building a Culture of Security

How do we get customers to prioritize security? The goal should be to build a culture of security where everyone—businesses and customers alike—understands their role in preventing breaches. This cultural shift requires consistent effort, clear communication, and, most importantly, a shared understanding of the stakes. Whether it’s HR safeguarding employee data or marketing teams securing customer databases, everyone plays a role.

Creating a security-first culture also involves ongoing education. Instead of focusing only on the risks, companies should also highlight the opportunities that come with being secure. When customers and employees alike are rewarded for safe behaviors, such as reporting phishing attempts or using secure authentication methods, security becomes a part of daily operations, not an afterthought.

Until customers fully appreciate the importance of cybersecurity, breaches will continue to recur. The solution isn't just in better technology but in better education, transparency, and engagement. Only then can we hope to reduce the frequency and impact of cyberattacks in the years to come.