Over the last few decades, the internet has grown at a faster pace and gone from strength to strength. It has connected people all around the world, facilitated global business enterprises, and overall, made our life much easier. With the help of wireless connectivity and compatible devices, it has enabled every individual to connect within a network and transfer data. However, like every progress comes with some risks, this massive influx of connectivity made us more vulnerable. The number of cyberattacks is rising worldwide, with criminals attacking all types of large, medium and small sized companies. At a state level, cyber safety is a national and economic security concern. At the company level, it is one of the keys to the smooth survival of the business. Therefore, it is important that the companies remain at the top their cybersecurity issues, and conducting regular safety tests can help them to achieve exactly that.
The Importance of Conducting Individual Safety Tests
Every company has individual cybersecurity needs, depending on their business model, level of data collection, number of employees, number of devices used, the level of connectivity required, etc. There are also different types of cybersecurity frameworks to choose from, with their specific vulnerabilities. Every time an individual employee connects to a network, they have their own network that is susceptible to cyberattacks. With cyber criminals also getting more sophisticated with their strategies, it is not enough anymore for modern businesses to just have an anti-virus software and a firewall. Rather, they need a holistic approach that includes regular system testing to measure the resistance to cybersecurity threats, a comprehensive plan to deal with the worst case scenario, along with continuous training and monitoring employee behavior. Considering the key components of assessing cyber preparedness, below, we discuss why it’s crucial for companies to conduct regular safety tests on its own.
Assessing the Prevention Protocols
By conducting a safety test or internal audits on its own, companies can gain some valuable insights into the effectiveness of their protection mechanisms.
Safety tests should begin with assessing the effectiveness of the security protocols and cybersecurity policies of a company. Employee-focused protocols are often the most vulnerable, as majority of network intrusion begins with an employee mistake – click on a phishing email and the ID’s might be somebody else’s hands. Password protocols are another most vulnerable areas, with many organizations, leaving the practice of using complex passwords and regularly changing them to their employees’ hands. Therefore, performing a safety test can also shed a bright light into the state of a company’s IT governance and the ways it can be implemented better.
Moreover, it can also help in regularly performing anti-malware and anti-virus checks, keeping all the software updated, forcing employees to not to open image and other random attachments, etc.
Implementing the Appropriate Detection Methods
In 2015, the CBOK Practitioner survey found that 50% of the respondents use data analytics and data mining for fraud identification. It also helps with the risk and control monitoring. While data analytics are beneficial in recognizing something isn’t working as it should, there are other detection methods for in-depth diagnosis of the cybersecurity measures.
For example, vulnerability assessment is a process where every potential weakness of a hardware and software used in a network system gets recorded to figure out the tangible threats. Whereas, penetration testing enables the company to run a mock attack and test the resistance of their protection measures. On the other hand, perimeter testing focuses on assessing all the web applications used by a company – customer-focused website, employee database, vendor applications, etc.
By performing an individual assessment, a company can figure out which method of diagnosis is most appropriate for its needs, and produce an effective threats and vulnerabilities detection method.
Business continuity and Crisis Management
While the key reasons behind cybersecurity measures is to protect the business against potential threats, it still carries the risks of getting attacked. As a result, all the cybersecurity protocols should include proper planning for the many potential risk scenarios and how to overcome them.
As part of their safety tests, companies can keep itself updated about the potential economic and managerial implications of latest cyber threats on its ongoing operations – the potential interruptions of services, the amounts of time that would be required to recover from such attacks, and the reputational damages of the companies. By helping to track down any data breach, safety tests can also help in complying with the laws and regulations.
As the more you know, the more you can prepare; safety tests are hugely beneficial in planning for the continuity and crisis management for businesses.
Continuous Improvements of the Cybersecurity Measures
As the technologies aim for the greater heights, the cyber criminals do the same. Every now and then, they change their strategies, come up with new security threats, and develop new Trojans and viruses. Therefore, no security measures are consistently secure.
While it’s almost impossible to predict which new methods the attackers are going to use, there are still some common trends to consider. In 2019, the major security trends include, in particular order, sending out phishing emails, use of mobile as an attack medium, ransomware attacks, etc.
By conducting a regular self-assessment, companies can compare their security measures against the most commonly used attack techniques and upgrade their system as per the requirements.
Overall, as a costly and hugely damaging security threats, the importance of the regular examination and review of the cybersecurity measures are huge. It is often considered as the third layer of protection and can help the company in preventing threats by detecting vulnerabilities in the company practices. It’s also beneficial in finding out company specific requirements, and thus, provides the basic building blocks of an effective crisis management plan.