Improve Your Cybersecurity Posture in 2023

This featured blog was provided by our partners at Optiv.

Between skyrocketing cloud adoption and cyber threats growing more sophisticated by the day, traditional security methods are no longer sufficient. Protecting the modern network now requires total alignment between an organization’s business objectives and its cybersecurity posture. Beyond boardroom buy-in, this means gaining a comprehensive picture of the people, processes and technology that make up its defenses against cyberattacks. Understanding and quantifying your cybersecurity posture not only provides a baseline for continual improvement — it’s now essential for recognizing vulnerabilities and staying resilient against future threats. Keep reading for expert insights on how to orchestrate your cybersecurity program more holistically in 2023.

Lay the Groundwork for Better Security

Many organizations define their security strategy with the help of cybersecurity frameworks. These are sets of standards, guidelines and best practices developed by groups like the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Standards Council of Canada (SCC) or industry-specific organizations, like the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) or the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC).

Once you’ve leveraged any helpful frameworks, identify your business requirements and objectives so you can develop a plan to securely achieve them. We recommend evaluating and ranking all your assets from most to least vulnerable, which allows your security team to prioritize its efforts. After discerning all assets and points of vulnerability, you can start laying out a cybersecurity roadmap as well as implementing systems and processes that address future security risks.

A crucial part of this planning is the creation of a robust incident response (IR) plan. Why? Though we all do our best to prevent them, every business should be prepared for a cyberattack. By creating and testing an IR plan in advance, you’ll be more prepared to respond quickly to an attack and lessen its impact.

Build a Culture of Security

It’s important to consider that cybersecurity isn’t just a technical initiative that can be accomplished by planning and buying tools. Organizations should also spend time educating employees on cybersecurity best practices and encouraging them to take ownership when it comes to protecting information and assets. When leaders promote a strong security culture from within, they contribute to lower risk from the beginning, potentially avoiding future issues.

Fostering the right company culture involves building employee awareness as well as thorough testing and training programs. Employees who stay aware of the evolving threat landscape should be less susceptible to social engineering attacks, like phishing attempts, and will likewise be informed of best practices to remain cyber safe. Depending on the level of in-house security expertise at your organization, it might be more effective to engage outside experts to help establish a training and awareness program.

Final Thoughts

The cybersecurity world is fast paced. As malicious actors ceaselessly innovate, the bar for security standards continues to raise, meaning your own cybersecurity efforts will never really end – nor should they. Monitoring your organization’s cybersecurity posture regularly can help you avoid cyber threats and potential breaches before they become catastrophic.