When you think of cyber security and technology, the adjectives “boring” and “un-sexy” come to mind.
They are important, however. We’d even argue critical in nature.
This is especially true when working in highly regulated industries, like financial services and healthcare.
So, what are the top things you can do to effectively manage your cyber security posture in order for your organization to achieve safety and success?
What are the top three nuggets of cyber security wisdom you can apply to management of your data?
Assessments and vulnerability scanning are necessary.
First, we’d suggest conducting a full evaluation and security scan of your network.
You need to understand how technology would provide protection to you from the bad guys.
You need to know what’s happening on your network, and how to then implement security technologies to manage that more scrupulously. You’ll want to figure out what threats and risks are caused by a poorly prepared IT network. An assessment, paired with vulnerability scanning, will help you accomplish all of this.
Identify your risks to make a plan.
Documenting risks is complicated and daunting. We get it.
You’re not alone.
Most companies and IT departments aren’t aware of how they could fully protect themselves against threats that pose risks. That’s not anyone’s fault, especially with the break-neck speed at which technology is changing.
The biggest problem lies in the fact that you may not truly understand your data security risk points, and therefore you can’t develop a solid data security risk strategy and plan of execution.
Execute.
The final piece in the risk profile puzzle involves documenting what’s there and using that to make a plan of attack. Then, do something.
Most businesses engage in some type of IT vulnerability testing, but often times such assessments are purely technical in nature and merely point out problems without giving explicit suggestions for resolving issues. To get the most out of a vulnerability assessment, focus on knowing what could expose you to specific threats and ask what should be done to narrow that gap in security.
Your assessment should go beyond technical vulnerabilities, such as unpatched servers or open firewall ports, and should focus on creating policies and procedures so you can implement mitigation and prevention strategies.
Documenting and developing IT processes is important, but execution of these documented processes is the most critical part.
The best advice comes with action.
At Cooperative Systems, we believe in action. We’re here to help you plan and deliver on your technology plans. For more help with this and other IT topics, contact us here.