How To Build a Cybersecurity Strategy for Your Business

You have to be able to identify risks and decide what to do about them if you want to develop effective cybersecurity strategies. Threats can come from inside or outside your organization, and they can vary in severity. An analysis of the organization’s security landscape and strategic objectives details the kinds of threats you can expect and the resources required. You have to balance security solutions with ease of access, as cybersecurity measures such as encryption make access slow and more difficult. A cybersecurity strategy that works for your business deals with all these issues while delivering intuitive user interfaces and retaining convenient user access to the information your teams need to carry out their work.

Outside Cyberattacks Present a Security Risk But Can Be Countered

While attacks from outside the organization represent a high risk, a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy can address the cyber-risk and reduce the likelihood of success. Weak points are servers connected to the Internet and user endpoints such as mobile phones and laptops. Your policies should include details on updating applications, patching operating systems, and limiting downloads that could contain malware.

Outside attacks have a greater chance of success when based on social engineering. With strategies such as phishing, employees are tricked into compromising security by revealing passwords or other network access information. A key part of your security planning should include compulsory employee training in cybersecurity to reduce their vulnerability to such scams.

Insider Attacks Can Be Detected by Monitoring Activity

Once you’ve reduced the business risk from outside attacks on your networks, you remain vulnerable to insider threats. Attacks from inside your security perimeter can be carried out by outside workers such as consultants, contractors or suppliers who have access privileges. Another source of insider attacks is disgruntled employees. Since these threats come from individuals who have authorized access to your systems, your cybersecurity strategy has to address the risk differently from security measures in place for outside attacks.

An effective way to reduce the risk of insider threats is to restrict activity. For example, a contractor training employees may not need to print anything. Your security policies can create roles with associated privileges that limit what outside workers can do. Similarly, for employees, an engineer may not need access to financial data, while someone in HR will not need to see proprietary process information. Employee log-ins can assign limited privileges.

A final way to identify insider threats is to monitor activity. Access logs can record access attempts and unusual activity. When an insider engages in an abnormal activity, you can flag it and lock them out until the reason for the activity is clear. Your cybersecurity strategy can include corresponding policies and policy enforcement mechanisms.

An Effective Security Strategy Matches Risk to Information Sensitivity

Perimeter security to mitigate outside threats and access policies for insiders is usually not enough to keep sensitive data safe. A data-centric approach to layered security can keep data safe from unauthorized access. Your security policies can classify data in terms of a risk profile and apply extra protection if needed.

An analysis of your threat landscape can consider the potential harm to the business should specific data be stolen. For example, personally identifiable information is protected in many jurisdictions, and unauthorized access may leave the business open to regulatory and legal action. Loss of company proprietary information and intellectual property may hurt the competitive position of the business. On the other hand, publicly available information does not need any special protection.

Additional measures to safeguard information can include encryption of files, the use of protected directories, a requirement for additional log-ins, or the use of two-factor authentication. Highly sensitive information that’s rarely accessed can be given the highest level of protection. If restricted information is used frequently, it can sometimes be anonymized or otherwise changed to reduce its sensitivity and preserve easy access. Your security strategy can classify the information and detail the measures that have to be taken to keep it safe.

Your IT Infrastructure Is a Key Cybersecurity Component

If your IT infrastructure isn’t secure, your information can’t be safe. Your threat landscape often includes risk to infrastructure. Hardware security means security against loss, either through damage or through negligence. Your network security strategy has to detail what happens when your hardware is damaged by events such as a fire or when components such as mobile phones are lost or stolen. You need a comprehensive backup plan for catastrophic loss and a plan to replace components as needed. Parts of the corresponding policies have to detail what happens to your information in the event of hardware loss.

Security for IT infrastructure includes backup policies and the restoration of key applications. Disaster planning has to include backup computers and a way to quickly restore operations. Businesses have to put in place corresponding resources. The plans have to be tested regularly to make sure they work. For loss of components such as laptops, you have to be able to remotely wipe any information from the device. The combination of a disaster response plan and the ability to safely replace lost devices ensures cybersecurity for the organization isn’t compromised at the hardware level.

A Custom Cybersecurity Strategy Keeps Your Business Information Accessible and Safe

Your overall organization security posture can influence your productivity. If your security strategy keeps your IT infrastructure safe, your network security perimeter intact, and your information protected, you should look at how these measures are affecting your operations. You can make your information as secure as you want, but you still have to be able to access it and carry out work. There’s no general solution — each business is different and has to develop a custom security strategy.

Customization comes in when your policies are having a substantial negative effect on organization productivity. In that case, you have to reevaluate your strategy in that area, assign additional resources and find solutions that have a lower impact on work. Information accessibility is key, and the best cybersecurity strategy combines accessibility with security in innovative and sophisticated technical solutions. Call + 81-3-5484-7935 to learn more about how our IT Security and technical expertise can benefit your business.