When you are just starting out your business, it is a given that you have some security systems in place- you have an antivirus (albeit a free version), some rudimentary firewall, and multi-factor authentication, at the very least. And then you find your business suddenly experiencing a growth spurt that you were not prepared for.
Once you get to the inflection point, you are not sure how your existing security systems will scale, if at all, and how they will fit into your overall business strategy. You are not sure whether to start building your security strategy from scratch or to retain some of the existing security controls, whether to retain them in-house or outsource them. More importantly, you have no idea how your security controls will fare in the face of security risk assessment audits and regulatory compliance requirements.
No matter what stage your business is in, cybersecurity is always a curious challenge. But it is especially challenging when your business is at the cusp of growth. In this blog post, we help you build a cybersecurity strategy starting with overall goals but also drilling all the way down to actionable steps. So, let’s begin…
What Is A Cybersecurity Strategy?
A cybersecurity strategy is a blueprint of how your organization plans to protect its assets and minimize cybersecurity risks. Unlike cybersecurity policies, which are detailed and in-depth, cybersecurity strategies are high-level plans with a 3-5-year time frame. But they are similar to policy documents in that they are also living documents that evolve to adapt to changing threat landscapes and business processes.
A cybersecurity strategy is essential if you want to transition from a reactive “whack-a-mole” strategy, dealing with issues as they arise, to a proactive and structured approach that is prepared to meet the uncertainties and challenges that are certain to arise in any modern business environment. A well-documented cybersecurity strategy offers structure and guidance to help you stay prepared and avoid confusion in times of uncertainty or crises.
So how do we build a cybersecurity strategy? Where do we start? And what should be its goal? Let’s take a closer look…
High-Level Cybersecurity Goals
All the steps you take as part of your cybersecurity strategy will be targeted at achieving the following goals:
1. Prevent
Your first goal is to prevent any security breach from happening. This is your first line of defense. Your actions in this category will aim at preventing malware delivery and execution and stopping unauthorized access.
2. Contain And Mitigate
Your second goal is to limit the damage if your first line of defense fails and there is a security breach. Most organizations have robust security measures that focus on prevention but have little to no defense if their network is breached.
3. Recover And Restore
Your third goal is to have the ability to quickly regain access to and functionality of your IT infrastructure after cyberattacks. This is a critical security goal that aligns with business goals of operating with little to no downtime.
Actionable Steps To Achieve The Cybersecurity Goals
Now that we have laid out our high-level goals, let’s see what tools and strategies we can use to achieve each of them.
Security Incident Prevention
1. Endpoint security
Endpoints or the entry points to your network are devices such as desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. They are some of the most vulnerable locations of your network because end-users often make mistakes such as clicking on dubious links, opening malicious attachments, etc.
Endpoint security tools, which started as antivirus have now evolved into robust tools that can protect from sophisticated attacks such as malware, zero-day exploits, etc. Securing the endpoints must be your first step in preventing malware infection and unauthorized access to your network and data.
2. Implement 2FA
Data breaches, password hacks, and social engineering have grown so sophisticated and rampant that simple username-password combinations are no longer enough to keep your accounts safe. Implementing two-factor authentication (2FA) is a simple and effective way to protect your user accounts from cybercriminals.
3. Patch Management
Software patches and updates are often released by software providers to fix security vulnerabilities. Applying these patches in a timely manner prevents attackers from using known vulnerabilities to hack into your systems or applications.
The most common example of poor patch management is the WannaCry ransomware infection. It used a known vulnerability to infiltrate network systems of companies that hadn’t applied the patch even though Microsoft had already released it. The ransomware infection ended up costing businesses millions of dollars.
4. Harden Your Network
Your network is the foundation on which your entire IT infrastructure is built. Anyone with access to your network virtually has access to your entire infrastructure. Therefore, network security must be one of your top priorities.
Your ability to proactively identify and remediate network security threats doesn’t just help you meet privacy and security goals but also enhances network efficiency. Firewall, Network Access Control (NAC), Intrusion Detection System (IDS), etc. are some of the network security systems that can help you defend your network against threats.
5. Implement Physical Security Controls
Using physical security controls to prevent cyber threats may seem counterintuitive but physical security plays an important role in mitigating security risks such as theft, vandalism, and physical attacks. Physical security measures such as biometric locks, video monitoring, etc. prevent unauthorized physical access to critical network devices such as servers, routers, switches, etc. mitigating many security risks.
6. Use MDM
Mobile Device Management (MDM) is a security tool for managing mobile devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones. MDM is a practical and efficient tool that enables you to manage, track, monitor, and secure your entire fleet of mobile devices from one single platform. It is relevant not just from a device management perspective but also for data security and regulatory compliance.
7. Use VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) enables you to access your business network and resources from anywhere in the world without having to worry about hackers eavesdropping or stealing your data in transit. A VPN gives you security and privacy while you access corporate resources over a public network. This is a necessary tool for businesses that allow remote work.
Contain And Mitigate
The security tools that we have seen so far do a good job of preventing unauthorized users from entering your network and accessing your resources. But what happens if there is a breach and the attackers are able to breach your network defenses? You need to have some security systems in place that contain the threat and limit the amount of damage that it can inflict. That is exactly what the following tools help you with:
1. Use Network Segmentation
Segmenting your network into sections helps contain intrusions by preventing or, at the very least, making it difficult for the infiltrators to move laterally within the network. Each network segment can have its own firewall with different security rules giving you the ability to assign different policies, encryption, and authentication rules for different security levels. This helps contain security breaches and prevents them from spreading to other parts of the network.
2. Implement Zero Trust Security Model
The Zero Trust Security model is a security best practice for businesses that rely on the cloud and employee mobility. The technology landscape is rapidly changing and the once trusted local networks and corporate perimeters are no longer safe from cyber threats. The Zero Trust Security framework enables businesses to handle advanced threats inside the corporate perimeter and therefore is essential for minimizing business risks.
3. Implement Principle Of Least Privilege
The Principle Of Least Privilege (PoLP) is a security model that not only helps prevent security breaches but also limits the damage in the case of a breach. PoLP helps minimize security and business risks resulting from external attacks as well as from internal threats and errors. It does so by limiting the user’s permissions and access to only those resources that are necessary for performing their job functions
4. Implement IAM
Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions help you to identify, authenticate, and authorize users who access your organization’s IT resources. This ability to manage access and privilege controls is critical for businesses that want to scale without compromising on security. The central goal of IAM is to provide the right user with the right access and privileges at the right time and from the right devices. By controlling who has access, to which resources, and what kind of privileges, you can keep your enterprise resources safe from unauthorized access.
Recover And Restore
1. Implement A Disaster Recovery And Business Continuity Plan
A Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity (DRBC) Plan lays down the steps needed to ensure that the business survives a disaster and is able to get back to acceptable working levels as quickly as possible. The aim of disaster recovery is to mitigate any damages caused by a disaster while the goal of business continuity is to secure critical assets and continue business operations.
DRBC is a must-have for any business because no security system can protect your business one hundred percent. And in case any of your security systems fail, DRBC ensures that your business can get back up and running with minimal disruption.
Conclusion
That’s it! Once you have all of the above security systems and tools in place, you will have a robust cybersecurity strategy in place. However, you should not stop there. Cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated and increasing in volume with every passing day. In addition, organizations are adopting ever-greater numbers of technologies, applications, and processes, creating a larger attack surface for hackers.
An effective cybersecurity strategy goes beyond technology and tools to create a security-conscious culture. Protecting all of your assets and systems requires an array of tools, continuous monitoring and adjustments, expertise, and security hygiene practices.
Do you have a robust cybersecurity strategy in place? Are all of your assets and systems adequately protected? If your answer is no or if you are unsure, reach out to us to find out how we can help improve your security.
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About The Author
Hari SubediMarketing Manager at Jones IT
Hari is an online marketing professional with a focus on content marketing. He writes on topics related to IT, Security, Small Business, and Mindfulness. He is also the founder and managing director of Girivar Kft., a business services company located in Budapest, Hungary.