cyber threats | Joseph Bugeja

In cybersecurity, the right metrics help assess and improve an organization’s security posture. These five are especially effective at distinguishing strong programs from those at risk:

Mean Time to Respond/Recover (MTTR). Speed matters. Top teams reduce MTTR through automation and regular incident response drills. The faster a threat is contained, the less damage it causes.
Vulnerability Resolution Rate. The question is not how many vulnerabilities you fix — it is whether you are addressing the right ones. Smart security leaders prioritize based on business impact, not just severity scores.
Security Awareness Engagement. When security becomes part of your culture, the metrics shift from “completion rates” to active participation. I have seen organizations transform their security posture when they started tracking how often employees report suspicious activities rather than just training attendance.
Phishing Resilience. The most revealing metric is not your click rate — it is how that rate changes as your simulations become increasingly sophisticated. Organizations making real progress show declining click rates even as attacks grow more convincing.
Patch Management Efficiency. Strong teams balance rapid patching with system stability, achieving high compliance without disrupting operations.

These metrics offer a clearer lens into actual security posture. What key indicators are driving your strategic decisions, and what innovative methods are you using to measure what truly safeguards your organization? I would love to hear your experiences.

Photo by ThisIsEngineering on Pexels.com

As technology continues to advance, so do the risks and threats associated with it. To protect ourselves and our institutions, it is crucial to remain informed and updated with the latest security trends and best practices. This was the main focus of my recent 45-minute security awareness session with the university technical staff.

In addition to discussing fundamental security measures, I also covered the latest threat actors and threats in the cyber security landscape affecting universities and public institutions. This included state-sponsored actors, cybercriminals, hacker-for-hire groups, and hacktivists. I emphasized the potential consequences of a cyber attack, which can be severe and damaging, such as financial losses, reputational harm, and legal liability.

One alarming statistic I shared was that according to estimates from Statista’s Cybersecurity Outlook, the global cost of cybercrime is expected to surge in the next five years, rising from $8.44 trillion in 2022 to $23.84 trillion by 2027. This underscores the importance of taking proactive steps to mitigate potential risks.

While technical measures are essential, we also discussed the human element of security, including social engineering tactics like phishing emails or pretexting phone calls. Information security starts and ends with all of us, and it is crucial that everyone takes responsibility for protecting sensitive information and assets.

Here is a redacted version of the presentation. Additionally, I recently co-authored an article titled “Human Factors for Cybersecurity Awareness in a Remote Work Environment”, which delves into relevant and relatable cyber security aspects for remote employees.”