Vice President Managed Security Services
In today’s threat landscape, it’s not a matter of if, but when a cyberattack will happen. How you respond to that attack is what truly matters. For this reason, cybersecurity efforts around threat detection and response are a top priority whether you’re a household brand or an up-and-coming business.
But where do you start? What cybersecurity threats and solutions should you consider? How do you prioritize your cybersecurity efforts? To help you navigate these questions, let’s dive in.
The Need for a Cohesive Cybersecurity Strategy
When it comes to cybersecurity tools, one thing is clear: no one has nothing. Every organization has implemented some cybersecurity measures, whether it’s a basic firewall, antivirus software, or security policies. However, what separates the secure from the vulnerable is how effectively these measures are implemented and integrated into a cohesive security strategy.
To truly protect your organization, you need to adopt a comprehensive, layered defense approach to cybersecurity. This means looking at all the pieces you have in place, the investments you’ve made, and filling critical gaps to complete the puzzle.
Critical Cybersecurity Gaps to Consider
1. Email Security
Start with email, as a staggering 93% of cyberattacks originate from malicious emails. Traditional gateway-based email solutions and relying on employees as a security control are no longer sufficient to stop sophisticated attacks. Advanced phishing protection is essential.
Consider this scenario: an employee accessing their personal email from a company machine. If they go to a bad site, and it says, “your Office 365 credentials are needed to access this document,” they could unwittingly provide their credentials. Now the adversaries are off and running, and you’ve got a business email compromise (BEC) account takeover.
Now imagine the compromised employee is an admin user. There’s a risk of a hacker capturing their domain account coming into the company’s Azure/AWS environment, creating a ransomware situation. So how do you protect against that? This is why robust DNS protection is also critical.
2. DNS Defense
70-80% of email-based attacks rely on DNS to communicate with command and control session. In today’s digitally connected world, DNS is somewhat broken—we’re not all inside of our corporate building anymore, behind the firewall, behind that proxy. DNS protection needs to be distributed to prevent that command and control session, regardless of where your employees are located.
3. eXtended Detection and Response (XDR)
While endpoint security is table stakes, endpoints are just 1 out of 6 common attack vectors. Because of this, organizations and solution providers have jumped on the eXtended Detection and Response bandwagon. Make sure you look beyond the “XDR” brand because not all XDR solutions are created equal. Indeed, some continue to leave critical security gaps open.
4. Network Security
While network security threats and vulnerabilities are frequently overlooked, penetrating the network is the holy grail for adversaries because, once they’re in, they have access to everything else. Bad actors look for weak points in the network, so they can steal data, damage your environment, or encrypt vital business applications and assets.
If you haven’t updated your network architecture in more than two years, you’re likely at risk. IT staff must assume that nothing is secure, whether in a cloud, in a data center, connected to a VPN, or behind a firewall. This is where Zero-Trust comes in.
5. 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC)
Automated alerts only get you so far. None of the tools matter if you don’t have an experienced cybersecurity team to correlate telemetry, identify anomalous patterns, and swiftly respond to threats. The mission is to reduce the amount of time an adversary goes undetected in your environment, known as dwell time.
6. Human Element
It’s easier to trick people than to hack a secure system, so it’s no surprise that adversaries target employees. Indeed, users are a top attack vector—between 70% to 90% of breaches are due to social engineering attacks. Even organizations that invest vast amounts in security still have humans as their weakest link as evidenced by the MGM cyberattack.
An Economic Roadmap: Your Path to Security Maturity
Many organizations have already invested in cybersecurity tools and solutions. Rather than scrapping your existing investments, consider creating an economic roadmap. This involves evaluating your current security posture, identifying vulnerabilities and risks, and determining where you can enhance your protection.
The key point is that you don’t necessarily need to replace everything. Instead, look for gap services that can be integrated into your existing infrastructure. Evaluate the contracts and expiration dates of your current tools and assess when it’s appropriate to switch or keep them in your security model.
Bear in mind that cybersecurity is an ongoing process. It requires vigilance, adaptation, and a combination of technology and human expertise.
You Don’t Have to Go it Alone
DataEndure can work with you to strengthen your cybersecurity posture in manageable, incremental steps. We’ll provide a complimentary economic roadmap, with no strings attached. We’ll take into account the tools you’ve already invested in, and you’ll gain a budget strategy for upleveling and evolving your security posture.
Don’t wait for a data breach to force your hand—schedule a meeting today.