What is Cybersecurity Readiness
The number of threats online is only growing. How ready are you? Do you know your organization’s level of cybersecurity readiness? If you don’t know the answer to these questions, don’t worry. This article will help you evaluate, improve, and monitor your readiness. First, what is cybersecurity readiness? Your level of cybersecurity readiness is your organization’s capacity for identifying, preventing, and responding to cyber crimes.
No matter how many harrowing headlines we read about a company losing millions of dollars, not everyone takes it seriously. Even worse, those who do are often powerless to help their organizations. Nearly 80% of senior security and information tech employees don’t believe their organization can protect itself from cyber-attacks. No matter how many new tools or techniques you buy, your organization needs to be able to use them.
How can that be?
Cybercrime is major. If your data leaks, don’t you expect to know about it immediately? Unfortunately, no. As we’ve previously mentioned on our website, it can take a long time to respond to an attack. For example, in 2020, it took an average of 280 days to respond to a data breach. Can you imagine how much damage can occur in nearly four and a half months? Don’t be caught unprepared. Let’s go over ways to improve your cybersecurity readiness.
1) Monitor Your Level of Readiness Constantly
Auditing, assessing, and performing penetration tests are some of the most trusted methods to determine your readiness level. However, they do have shortcomings. They’re expensive and time-consuming. They also lack new, critical information.
Instead, data-driven methods like security ratings are more valuable. These models pull data from objective, quantifiable information sources in your organization. Things like open ports, out-of-date software installations, malware infections, weak security credentials… You should monitor all of these things.
2) Don’t Forget Your Vendors
Third parties are a potential weak link in any organization. Supply chain attacks are some of the most sophisticated and emergent ways to harm businesses. Vendors with weak security protocols can expose you as well. If a compromised vendor accesses one of your systems, the attacker now has access to you.
Ensure your vendors are bound by the same level of security you are. You can include contractual obligations toward security to help mitigate risks. You can’t just assess this one time, either – Like with the first point; you must always monitor this.
3) Develop Plans and Training
Keeping a realistic perspective on these attacks is very important. Knowing what to do when something goes wrong is just as important as preventing problems. If caught without a plan, the damage increases as you scramble to respond. By putting together a detailed response strategy, you know exactly what to do. Unfortunately, developing these plans can also expose weaknesses in your current security protocols.
Cybersecurity Readiness is Essential
Start planning today. Cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility at your organization. Your vendors, employees, and even you and other senior members have an obligation to protect your data. The world of cybersecurity can be unpredictable. Don’t be caught without a plan. Contact Arruda Group today and begin planning your organization’s training program.
