How to improve organizational security in 2025

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Modern organizations face unprecedented cybersecurity challenges. According to the 2025 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, credential abuse and vulnerability exploitation account for 42% of all confirmed data breaches, with the average breach costing $4.45 million to resolve based on IBM's 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report.

Organizational security encompasses the policies, procedures, and technologies that protect your business from cyber threats. This guide explains practical security models, essential protocols, and proven strategies to safeguard your data while enabling productive collaboration.

What you'll learn:

• Core security models for data protection
• Essential security policies every organization needs
• Seven actionable ways to strengthen security posture
• How to balance security with team collaboration

Understanding organizational security policies

An organizational security policy is the foundation of your cybersecurity program. This document defines roles, responsibilities, security goals, and your approach to risk management.

According to Gartner research, 85% of CEOs now recognize cybersecurity as critical for business growth, not just a technical concern. Your security policy should address:

• Scope and objectives: Clear security goals aligned with business needs
• Roles and responsibilities: Who owns security at every level
• Compliance requirements: Industry regulations (HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA)
• Risk management approach: How you identify and mitigate threats
• Incident response procedures: Steps when breaches occur

Data security is essential for businesses that deal with sensitive information regularly. For organizations handling sensitive communications, implementing secure team chat solutions is essential to enforce these policies across daily operations.

Classic security models for data protection

Security models provide frameworks for maintaining confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your data. Here are the proven models organizations use:

Bell-LaPadula model: Protecting confidential data

The Bell-LaPadula model prevents unauthorized access to classified information through structured access controls. Developed in the 1970s, it remains relevant for government, defense, and highly regulated industries.

Three core rules:

1. Simple security rule: Users read files at their security level or below
2. Star security rule: Users write files at their security level or above
3. Strong star security rule: Users read and write only at their exact security level

This model works best for government communication systems where information classification is critical.

Biba model: Maintaining data integrity

While Bell-LaPadula focuses on confidentiality, the Biba model prioritizes data integrity. It prevents lower-level users from corrupting higher-level data.

Three integrity rules:

1. Simple integrity rule: Read files at same or higher security level
2. Star integrity rule: Write files at same or lower security level
3. Strong star integrity rule: Read and write only at same security level

Organizations using mission-critical communications benefit from Biba's focus on data accuracy and reliability.

Clarke-Wilson model: Commercial security framework

The Clarke-Wilson model addresses real-world business needs, focusing on preventing fraud and errors through:

• Transaction-based access: Users access data through defined programs
• Separation of duties: Multiple approvals for sensitive actions
• Audit logging: Complete transaction history for accountability

This model supports communication security in financial services, healthcare, and other regulated industries.

Zero Trust model: Modern security architecture

The Zero Trust model reflects today's distributed workforce reality. It assumes every access request is potentially malicious, regardless of origin.

IBM's 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report found that organizations implementing Zero Trust reduced breach costs by an average of $1.76 million compared to those without it.

Five Zero Trust principles:

1. Assume all users and devices are hostile until verified
2. Threats exist both inside and outside the network
3. Network location doesn't determine trust
4. Authenticate and authorize every user, device, and data flow
5. Use dynamic policies based on multiple data sources

Zero Trust architecture is essential for encrypted messaging platforms where endpoint security cannot be guaranteed.

Who owns organizational security?

Everyone.

The 2025 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report reveals that 60% of breaches involve human error, misuse, or social engineering. Security is not just an IT responsibility but an organizational culture.

Key stakeholders include:

• Leadership: Sets security priorities and allocates resources
• IT/Security teams: Implement technical controls and monitor threats
• Employees: Follow security protocols in daily work
• Partners/Vendors: Maintain security standards in their systems
• Customers: Protect credentials and report suspicious activity

Organizations with mature security culture experience 40% fewer employee-driven incidents, according to Gartner's 2025 cybersecurity trends report.

When evaluating collaboration tools, consider whether the platform supports your security culture.

Learn more about selecting the most secure messaging apps that enable policy enforcement.

Seven practical ways to strengthen organizational security

1. Conduct regular security audits and testing

Continuous assessment identifies vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them. The 2025 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report found that organizations fully remediating edge device vulnerabilities within 32 days avoided 20% of potential breaches.

Audit priorities:

• Third-party integrations and vendor access
• User permission levels and access controls
• Security patch status on all systems
• Compliance with industry regulations

For government agencies, security audits must extend to all communication platforms used for official communications, including evaluation of government messaging apps for security compliance.

2. Invest in continuous employee training

Human error remains the top breach vector. Verizon's 2025 report shows that 22% of breaches involved social engineering, with phishing as the primary method.

Effective training includes:

• Monthly security awareness updates
• Simulated phishing exercises
• Role-specific security protocols
• Incident reporting procedures
• Password management best practices

Training should cover how to use chat platforms securely, including recognizing impersonation attempts and suspicious links.

3. Deploy on-premise solutions for sensitive data

Cloud services offer convenience, but highly regulated industries benefit from on-premise deployment's control and compliance advantages.

On-premise benefits:

• Complete data sovereignty
• Customizable security controls
• Regulatory compliance (HIPAA, FedRAMP)
• Protection from cloud service outages
• No third-party data access

For organizations requiring maximum isolation, air-gapped collaboration provides defense in depth by physically isolating critical systems from external networks.