What Is Due Diligence and Due Care? And Why It Matters for Your Business

By Mahfuzur Rahman | SecYork Technology

In today’s cyber-threat landscape, business leaders are under constant pressure to protect sensitive data, ensure compliance, and make risk-informed decisions. But two concepts—due diligence and due care—are often misunderstood, even though they form the backbone of responsible cybersecurity governance.

At SecYork, we believe understanding and applying these two principles can mean the difference between resilience and reputational ruin.

What Is Due Diligence?

Due diligence is the process of gathering relevant information and evaluating risks before making a business or security decision.

Think of it as:

"Knowing before doing."

Examples:

• Conducting a risk assessment before adopting a new cloud provider

• Reviewing security certifications (like ISO 27001, SOC 2) before selecting a vendor

• Performing background checks on key third-party partners

Due diligence is about understanding what could go wrong, so you can make smart, risk-aware decisions.

What Is Due Care?

Due care means taking appropriate actions based on the findings from due diligence. It’s the implementation of safeguards and best practices to mitigate identified risks.

Think of it as:

"Doing what a reasonable person would do to protect their assets."

Examples:

• Enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for remote access

• Updating and patching systems regularly

• Encrypting sensitive data at rest and in transit

• Maintaining a written incident response plan

If due diligence is about identifying risk, due care is about taking action to reduce it.

How They Work Together

Principle	What It Means	Real-World Analogy
Due Diligence	Learn what could go wrong	Checking weather before a road trip
Due Care	Take smart action to prevent it	Carrying an umbrella and driving safely

Without due diligence, you’re making decisions blindly.Without due care, you’re leaving doors open after discovering the risks.

Why It Matters for Your Business

1. Compliance & Legal Protection

Regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and SOX require that organizations demonstrate both due diligence and due care in their handling of data. Failing to do so can result in fines, lawsuits, or loss of licenses.

2. Improved Security Posture

These principles lead to better security planning, proactive controls, and stronger incident preparedness.

3. Trust & Reputation

Customers and partners are more likely to do business with an organization that can demonstrate responsible data handling and risk management.

4. Cost Avoidance

Neglecting risk can lead to data breaches, downtime, and costly remediation—all of which can often be prevented by applying basic due care.

Final Thoughts from SecYork

At SecYork, we help organizations build cybersecurity strategies rooted in due diligence and due care—not just for compliance, but for long-term business continuity and trust.

In cybersecurity, ignorance is not bliss—it’s liability.

Make it your culture to know the risks (due diligence) and act on them (due care). Your business—and your customers—will thank you.

"Know the risk. Own the response. With SecYork."

Choose SecYork. 📞 Contact Us | 🌐 www.secyork.com