Everything that can be hacked will be hacked, or at least someone will try. Over the past few years, we have seen massive data breaches where hackers have stolen petabytes of confidential and often personal data from companies that customers and the public entrusted them with.
The problem is that most companies are reactive and not proactive. They usually react after the damage has been done and by the time they know their security has been breached, there is little they can do to minimize the damage.
Why not be proactive instead? Being proactive assumes that everything that can be hacked will be hacked and involves putting measures in place to ensure this does not happen, or at the very least minimize the chances of it happening.
Laying the foundation for a sound security strategy entails:
Understanding what you have to protect – Start by having a list of every hackable asset your company has.
If you have a large organization, start with the crucial systems and work your way down.
A good place for businesses to start is by finding out what systems make them money or help them run their businesses.
These are vital systems that could derail a business if they ever got hacked. These have to be the first ones to be secured.
Complying with legal requirements – Getting sued over a data breach could cause your company millions or even billions.
Therefore, ensure that you are in legal compliance vis a vis securing systems that hold sensitive user and company data.
Gauging your risk appetite. Risk appetite is the amount of liability a company is ready to absorb.
If your company has a low appetite for risk, you should plan and deploy your security systems in a way that minimizes liability as much as possible.
Analyzing the risk landscape is the next step in building your strategy. Start by understanding the environment your organization operates in. Once you know this, you want to look at your competitors.
If people in the same industry and space as you have been hacked, there is a chance that you could be next.
Try as much as possible to find out how they deploy their security systems and eliminate or tighten up any areas that overlap.
It is also a good idea to assess whether there is any reason anyone would want to attack you or your business. These reasons could include:
At this point, you should know what your vulnerabilities are and which areas the attacks are likely to come from. Start by picking a framework for the deployment of your strategy. CIS controls, for example:
Following such a framework gives you a clear idea of what has been secured, what has not, what needs to be done when and the state system’s security.
Everything companies do in the deployment of their security systems must be done from a risk-management point of view.
That is why a deployment framework is so important; if everything on the recommendation list is done right, there is little risk of an attack.
When trying to minimize risk, there are a few questions you must answer.
After coming up with the plan, it is time to execute it. But before you do, can your organization effectively execute the plan? Do you have the right people in place to ensure everything in your plan is done right? To answer these questions, you may have to go through the resumes of everyone on your team, identifying their IT and other skills.
If anyone in your team has a Master of Computer Science Degree from a reputable institution like Wilfrid Laurier University – click here to learn all about it – they probably already have the skills and knowledge required.
It is also important to assess whether your team can improve on this strategy and carry it out in the future. Some other questions to ponder include:
Every organization should have a cybersecurity strategy in place. Cyber threats are all around us and it might take just a few hackers to release petabytes of your company’s data on the internet. Come up with a strategy and start patching any vulnerabilities now!
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