Cybercrime is at its peak now, with data breaches alone costing businesses an average of $4.88 million in recovery. Regardless of companies keeping a steady approach towards cybersecurity, the advanced methods of skilled criminals dodge all obstacles. The problem is, that a steady approach towards digital security will protect you only to an extent from such attacks. Analyzing your strong and weak points and then putting up the defenses accordingly is what enterprises need to prioritize.
Security Posture in Cybersecurity is the general strength of a company’s IT protection as a whole. By carrying out regular risk assessments, businesses can easily analyze their insecure areas that need more focus than areas where no focus is needed. Conducting these assessments is a preventative measure which businesses often neglect, exposing themselves to ransomware, data theft, and cyber-extortion.
Relevance of Security Posture in Cyber Security
Putting up firewalls and using security software are basic procedures of cybersecurity, but how do we know when these defenses are up to the standard? With passing time and constant transition of technology, intruders keep updating their attack techniques, in front of which your organization’s digital security can not stand a chance. That’s when a cybersecurity posture appraisal becomes useful.
A tight posture not only states the current condition of the IT infrastructure but also prevents theft of intellectual property by detecting risks and threats. It basically identifies threats, comes up with a response plan, and helps the organization recover from the identified threats.
How to Conduct a Security Posture Evaluation?
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Identify Vulnerabilities
The first action of posture evaluation is to start from scratch. Even though corporations conduct intensive research to identify areas open to attack for the first time applying security, while assessing posture, this process has to be repeated. Businesses should create an IT team to analyze each area of the system, network, and estate to find which area is exposed to risks despite the safety steps.
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Rating of Regions
Despite the security measures, most sections of the system might be vulnerable to attacks, which is common. However, most enterprises don’t have the budget to re-invest in a complete system from the start. In such circumstances, the best thing to do is to rank the areas from the view of vulnerability and threat intensity. Shortlist sections which have the most sensitive data and which can result in a bigger loss if the defenses break.
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Re-implement Controls
The reimplementation of controls is the third step of posture evaluation, also known as the initial acute phase. In this step, the organization brings in advanced tools and safety measures than those used previously. These better-working steps are applied to the high-risk-rated regions of the system. It is because of these new controls that the overall posture of the corporation is strengthened.
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Maintenance and Tracking
This fourth action of cyber protection posture appraisal, also known as the protracted phase, requires the maintenance of measures. In this phase, the newly implemented strength of the IT system has to be maintained from the get-go. To do so, safety metrics like compliance rates, successful intrusion attempts, and MTTDs are checked regularly.
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Security Awareness
The protection measures mainly protect your system from outsiders but in order to protect the data from insider mishaps, proper training is required. Conducting security awareness programs and imposing protocols is the last step in maintaining a good posture.
Requisites to Maintain Cyber Security Posture
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Implement Internal Controls
Implementation of safety is important but execution of internal controls is also necessary. Internal controls related to IT systems are mainly password rotations, segregation of duties, and authorization.
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Frequent Risk Assessments
Assessing the risk position of your IT systems regularly and anonymously will prevent the cost of carrying out a posture judgment. Since regular assessments are often taken for granted by workers, enterprises should switch between third-party assessments every once in a while.
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Common Processes
One of the many times workers unintentionally leave their systems open for data theft is when they are new to a process. By breaking down processes and commonizing them, all employees will get the hang of the work, leaving minimum to no room for such errors.
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Move to Automation
The best strategy a business can follow to eliminate internal danger to controls is moving to automation. Automated processes, although supervised by protection tools and software, are more efficient and reliable than humans for general tasks.
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Flexible Work Culture
Promoting a flexible work culture where employees are not exhausted is crucial for maintaining a decent posture. This is because drained-out employees increase the risk of workplace incidents as well as internet risks. For this reason, businesses must manage fatigued workers accordingly.
Importance of Having a Sturdy Cyber Security Posture
Cybersecurity is a non-optional requirement for companies with an IT estate in the 21st century. However, leaving those controls for years in place won’t do well for the overall security of the system. Keeping check and balance of the cyber posture of your system is needed when you don’t want your system in constant danger. The reason is clear; the controls you install today will expire in a few months or weeks even, with the pace of technological advancements. But with posture judgment, you will always know which controls have expired, and which need replacement or renewal.
Final Words
Cybercrime isn’t a myth nor is it a joke. Your business, be it a billion-dollar empire or a small-scale venture, is exposed to the threats of crime-attack. While revisiting your previously enacted controls is a choice, not making it can harm your corporation in the long run.
Making sure your organization has a strong security posture prevents a lot of post-attack costs for you and security posture assessment itself doesn’t cost much. It takes only a few steps and you will have the peace of mind that no threat actors are near your dangling controls.