Managing Cyber Black Swans: Can potentially crippling cyber situations be foreseen, allayed, and turned into growth opportunities?

Black Swan situations and their consequences are considered extremely unlikely before they happen and make perfect sense afterwards. Two malicious cyber attacks that triggered Black Swan situations, Emotet and WannaCry, are assessed, along with their attack sequences, and the vulnerabilities they exploited. The early warning signs and practical actions to prevent these types of Cyber Black Swan situations are presented. Prevention is based on protection through practical defence in depth controls along with effective ongoing maintenance. Added to this is the crucial element of situational awareness and a call to action for the cyber teams to focus their response efforts. This robust foundation of security and resilience, when combined with adaptability, are the attributes for antifragility. Enabling the organisation to thrive and grow in the midst of this volatility.