This article is contributed by Maria Chamberlain, President, Acuity Total Solutions, INC
When people hear the word “cybersecurity,” their eyes usually glaze over. It’s like taxes, or printer jams, or the word “compliance.” The brain just says no thank you and walks away.
For years, even I thought of cybersecurity as something that happened “over there” – on the technical side of the house. Behind doors with warning signs. Managed by people who speak in abbreviations.
But we’ve watched something shift in real time. Cybersecurity has moved out of the server room and into the contracts, the board meetings, the insurance negotiations, the valuation discussions. It’s everywhere now, and not necessarily because of potential ransom demands.
Because what’s actually at stake isn’t just the data, it’s trust. And trust is what business is made of.
When a client hires you, they’re trusting that you won’t expose them. When a partner signs an agreement, they’re trusting that you won’t put them at risk. When an insurer underwrites you, they’re trusting that you aren’t a walking liability.
Security is the quiet infrastructure holding all that trust together.
The same way a building looks stable even though you can’t see the steel beams, a business looks credible when the security work is invisible, but working.
And when it’s missing, you can feel the instability before you can explain it.
Let me tell you what I’ve actually seen.
A small service company spent months pitching a major contract. Everyone loved them. They were the top choice. Until the client sent over the last set of vendor questions; the security requirements. Suddenly, the conversation shifted.
Not because they didn’t do good work, not because they weren’t reputable. But because they couldn’t prove they were safe to work with.
They didn’t lose on performance. They lost on trust. And it was heartbreaking because they could have solved it. They just didn’t know it mattered until it was too late.
Now the opposite situation.
A mid-sized manufacturer didn’t have flashy tech. Nobody would’ve called them ‘cutting-edge.’ But they quietly strengthened their security with simple things like training their staff on phishing, tightening access permissions, and backing up data. Nothing dramatic. Just steady discipline.
When one of their suppliers got hit with ransomware, they didn’t go down with them. They didn’t lose production time. They didn’t have to call every customer with the dreaded “we need to talk” tone of voice. They stayed steady when others shook.
Clients noticed, and trust grew stronger, not because of marketing, but because resilience has a tone you can hear when someone speaks.
The hard part is this:
Most leaders don’t avoid cybersecurity because they don’t care. They avoid it because it feels like one more thing to manage when they’re already exhausted.
There’s a moment (and if you run a business, you know it) where your mind is juggling so many plates that even the idea of adding a new one feels laughable.
So we say things like: “We’ll deal with security later.” Or: “We’re too small to be targeted.” Besides, “We have an Antivirus service, don’t we?!”
But the truth is, very few cyber incidents are “targeted.” Most are opportunities. Like leaving your front door open and hoping no one happens to walk by. And the growing number of breaches today are social engineering attacks, no Antivirus software can stop that.
But it’s important to realize that good security isn’t about being perfect. It’s about not being the unlocked, unattended house on the street.
Don’t Fear Security.
Cybersecurity stops feeling overwhelming when you stop thinking of it as “technology” and start thinking of it as company self-respect.
That involves taking practical steps to protect what you’ve built. It’s how we show we are responsible stewards of our clients’ trust. It’s how we create a business that can survive stress, not just enjoy success.
Security isn’t fancy or complicated, but it also isn’t dramatic and scary. It’s quiet discipline.
It’s the same mindset as:
- Making payroll even when you don’t take a check yourself.
- Handling a client problem before they notice it.
- Showing up prepared to negotiate because you did your homework.
Security is simply: We take this seriously. Because we take you seriously.
So where do you start?
Not with software. Not even with a consultant (even though I am in that industry, but I say this sincerely).
You start with a question:
“If something went wrong tomorrow, would we know what to do?”
If the answer makes your stomach tighten- that’s your starting point.
Not panic. Not shame. Just awareness.
And from there, you build, slowly, steadily. Like any meaningful thing.
The bottom line on Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity isn’t an IT topic anymore. It’s a business credibility topic, a contract-winning topic, a valuation topic. It’s a “will this company still be standing in five years?” topic.
It’s about trust- trust you earn, keep, and protect.
Because in the end, a business is only as strong as the confidence others place in it.
And that changes everything.
About the Author: Maria Chamberlain is the President of Acuity Total Solutions INC, a Total Facilities Management company that provides IT and Cybersecurity services to Government and private agencies.
