By Henry Svendblad, chief technology officer of Company Nurse LLC
In today’s world, you can’t go a day without hearing another story of a cyber security breach. And no organization is exempt— especially sophisticated and established organizations with disparate systems whose breaches can affect thousands to millions of people.
That’s why I’ve put together the industry’s best practices for your organization to develop excellence in your cyber security management. You’ll see how making informed decisions about your architecture and security can turn this security challenge into a strategic advantage for your organization.
The Need for Cyber Security Management
The need for cyber security management has steadily increased over time as cybercriminals grow in sophistication and increase their threat vectors. Here’s how the landscape has evolved over the past five years.
Cybercrime as an Industry
As the cybercrime industry has become more sophisticated, so have the crimes committed. Long gone are the days of cybercriminals simply stealing credit card information. Instead, these criminals have found more lucrative opportunities through implementing ransomware. This malicious software encrypts the contents of a user’s computer and then demands payment to unlock it.
When cybercriminals gain access to a computer in a large organization, they can encrypt the entire organization’s networked systems and scale up the amount of their demanded payments.
With the growing ability to conduct such large-scale crimes, cybercrime is predicted to cost six trillion dollars annually by 2021.
The Internet of Things
In the broadest definition, the internet of things “encompasses everything connected to the internet, but it is increasingly being used to define objects that ‘talk‘ to each other.“ You see it every day –when you turn off the lights in your house with an app, when your refrigerator sends you a reminder to buy more milk, and when you lock your car with your smart phone.
And while the internet of things is designed to make our lives easier and more efficient, it does put us at greater risk for cybercrime attacks.
Researchers have demonstrated that it is possible for cybercriminals to hack the “things” in the internet of things. For example, cybercriminals could apply the brakes of a car by sending the control system of the vehicle an SMS.
With countless access points, the internet of things has opened new opportunities for cyber-attacks.
Spear Phishing
Spear phishing is an email targeted at a specific individual or department within an organization that appears to be from a trusted source. But instead of a trusted source, it’s a cybercriminal attempting to steal confidential information or gain access to that user‘s credentials.
Spear phishing is a powerful tool for cybercriminals. In fact, over 90% of successful data breaches start with a spear–phishing attack.
By sending urgent messages under the guise of a trusted source, individuals can quickly and easily fall for the cyber criminal’s plan.
Develop a Cyber Security Management Plan for Risk Management
As cybercriminals’ tactics become more sophisticated and powerful, so can your organization’s cyber security management. By developing a cyber security management plan, you are proactively protecting your organization and all its members from the risk of a cyber security attack.
Implement a Cyber Security Risk Management Program
The first step in improving your company’s cyber security management is focusing your efforts on risk management. Put in place a cyber security risk management program and develop an ongoing process where you assess, remediate, and monitor the changing cyber security risks to your organization.
Improve Employee Awareness with a Cyber Security Training
Initiating a cyber security discussion in your organization is crucial to align cyber threats in the context of overall business risk. You need your team to understand the importance of upholding your cyber security risk management program and the risks that can arise due to straying from it.
Most people external to the industry assume that cyber security is extremely complex. By bringing cyber security to discussion, all your organization’s members will see how simple it is to align with your cyber security guidelines and protect your organization from potential cyber-attacks.
Utilize a Multilayered Approach
A single solution will never protect your organization from the broad range of security threats. IT leaders need a mix of people, processes, and technologies to improve their cyber security postures.
To create a well-defined strategy, take a holistic approach to cyber security. Utilize a suite of cyber security tools, reconsider your enterprise architecture. Now may be the time to shift to SaaS-based solutions that have ingrained security capabilities beyond your in-house, on-premise systems. Have clearly defined roles for members of your cyber security team and implement processes and programs to continuously protect your organization.
Evaluate How a Move to the Cloud can Improve Your Security Posture and Create a Strategic Advantage
It may come as a surprise, but more and more people are turning to cloud computing to obtain a higher level of security. On the surface, the cloud may seem like a terrible idea for security — but instead, when deployed correctly it can allow for more robust protection against cybercrime and cybercriminals.
Access to Specialized Security
Properly secured cloud solutions provide access to additional, new levels of protection that were previously not possible. Utilizing a third-party cloud service means your organization is protected by their intricate and specialized platform including robust physical safeguards.
The burden of creating and maintaining physical safeguards and physical infrastructure is lifted off your IT team, allowing them to focus on vital security initiatives.
Scale with Ease
As your organization grows, you no longer need to invest the time and resources to grow your security platform along with it. Cloud-based security simplifies your scaling process, having the resources to handle increased capacity.
If your company is looking to secure itself now and into the future against the evolving forms of cybercrime, cloud computing is a solution that is worth investigating.
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To continue to strengthen your own cyber security, take care in choosing your organization’s partners and vendors. When it comes to selecting a nurse triage service for your employees, align your organization with a service like Company Nurse that understands the importance of protecting information with cyber security and risk management. To learn more, contact sales@companynurse.com.