With the mid-year already here, it's time to assess your current security strategy and how it can be improved. Cisco’s 2017 Mid-year Cybersecurity Report discusses the latest cybersecurity threats and highlights the importance of building a solid defense strategy to protect against these threats.
We know that building a cybersecurity defense strategy on your own is not an easy task, so here are three essential elements to get started:
1. Get the board on board
There’s no strategy if not everyone is on the same page, starting with the board of directors and your corporate executives. The best way to start is by understanding your company's internal processes and the way that business is conducted in your office. To do this, you should make a list of what types of technology, software, operating systems, and solutions are normally used. In addition, read up on the company’s policies like the technology terms of acceptable use.
When it comes to people and processes, you should ask questions such as:
- Are our core business and financial processes adequately secured? How do we know?
- Are we evolving our office culture (talent, skills, training, and adaptability)?
- Are we continuously improving our cyber resilience (like patch management)?
- Do we have formalized procedures according to our capabilities?
For Technology and Policy, some good questions are:
- Does our cyber resilience strategy protect our business objectives and most critical assets?
- Have we performed a thorough cyber risk assessment of our use of technology?
- Are there any cybersecurity industry standards and best practices that we can compare with?
- How do we measure our program’s effectiveness?
The answers to these questions will provide you with a strong foundation for your cybersecurity plan.
2. Securely Approach Digitalization
Businesses are constantly updating their technology, automating many manual process to increase efficiency and productivity. While digitalization creates and expands business opportunities for organizations, it also increases the need for evaluation of security risks. Organizations are no longer just focusing on cyber security tools, but are building cyber resilient architectures that can stand up to today’s digital attacks.
As a leader in security technology, Cisco Systems has pursued a secure digitalization strategy that simplifies processes based on strategic outcomes. This enhances the automation of specific technical architectures that leverage machine learning and continuous innovation.
3. Create a Corporate Culture of Cybersecurity
While previously considered to be “something the IT team does,” cybersecurity must now be a job for everyone in the company. At Tekscape, we’ve launched a cybersecurity education initiative that will help your company educate themselves on how to stay protected online. For example, learn how to bolster your email security or why patch management is important for cybersecurity.
Given that there will always be budget and talent constraints, businesses must focus on results by measuring efficiencies in cost control and managing risk. Security must be an organizational priority, starting with a strong commitment to training and a meticulous evaluation of cybersecurity investment effectiveness. Adopt only the best practices to use across the whole organization. There are also plenty of other core components of a cybersecurity strategy.
Have a question about starting or improving your cybersecurity strategy? Leave a comment and we will be in touch.
