Investing in Layered Cybersecurity Is a Strategic Choice

With the rise of digital transformation and the prevalence of mobile, cloud, and other technologies, the cybersecurity threat has never been higher. The vulnerabilities created by these technologies are growing. Meanwhile, adversaries are getting more sophisticated, well-funded, and organized, resulting in malware and other attacks that are well-tailored to their targets and difficult to detect. In addition, automated tools are being used by attackers to speed up their processes.

Cybersecurity is crucial for businesses to maintain productivity and competitiveness in the face of rising dangers and exposure and comply with a growing body of national, regional, and worldwide legislation governing cybersecurity and privacy.

Cybersecurity is a strategic goal

Due to the ever-evolving nature of both vulnerabilities and threats, as well as the growing importance of trust in gaining a competitive edge, cybersecurity has become a top priority for many companies. More and more people realize that cybersecurity can’t be an afterthought driven by compliance if a company wants to succeed and stay competitive in today’s market.

Therefore, modern cybersecurity frameworks or architectures should be the goal of any successful firm. Without cybersecurity solutions, organizations cannot safeguard data, detect malicious activity, respond to attacks, and recover from them with minimal damage to business operations.

Keep in mind that cyber security isn’t just about shielding the company from known dangers; it’s also about giving the company the safeguards it needs to survive. Working with a company to create a secure IT infrastructure so it may develop and reach its goals is at the heart of cyber security.

The need for a layered approach to cybersecurity

When it comes to security, organizations can’t rely on just one solution since they need to be able to prevent and respond to attacks and recover from any damage that may have been done.

Layered security is the most effective method for accomplishing this. This means using various complementary technologies, systems, and processes to ensure reactive and proactive defenses against cyber threats. For optimal security, these many systems and technologies must share information.

Threat actors can compromise and potentially break into a company by targeting a specific area of its information technology infrastructure. The broader an organization’s attack surface, the greater the danger it faces and the more work it must take to defend and secure itself. For instance, a tiny house on the bottom floor would be much simpler to protect than a large apartment building with multiple floors.

The typical attack surface has grown over the past few years as the digital breadth of a company’s ecosystem has grown and now includes the following:

• Endpoints, including workstations, servers, and other office hardware; remote and personal devices (like an employee’s smartphone) that connect to your network.
• Cloud-based suppliers, such as Microsoft 365, Slack, Zoom, and Google Drive, continue to grow in popularity as their users increase. Cloud-based services and partners are most frequently used by smaller businesses to centralize and standardize services and departments.
• Smart screens, refrigerators, printers, and cameras are all examples of IoT gadgets that connect to the internet but may not have the best security.
• When protecting a business from outside threats, the human factor is the most vulnerable.
• Data storage and transmission across several sites and the employment of remote or hybrid employees necessitate tighter security protocols.

No matter how big or small, every organization is vulnerable to more sophisticated attacks because of all the entry points attackers can utilize. These attacks use vulnerabilities in non-traditional endpoints and are typically carried out with more outstanding research and accuracy. They exploit holes in widely used cloud apps or a company’s cloud architecture to access private information and valuable assets.

Spear phishing and business email compromise attacks (BEC) are other forms of a modern insider threat; they target unwitting employees by pretending to originate from executives within the organization and can cause devastating financial losses from which some companies may never recover.

How organizations can build comprehensive layered security

A layered cybersecurity plan that includes preventative measures, proactive action, detection, and reaction capabilities is necessary to account for all the potential entry points that put a company’s house in danger. These features go much beyond those of standard endpoint protection solutions. The following are included in this category:

Visibility

Protecting the world around you requires constant vigilance, like being familiar with all the entrances to your home and the location of your safe and vital documents.

Detection

Tools like endpoint detection and response (EDR) can be implemented after visibility into the environment has been established. These analytical tools can monitor your entire network and any cloud infrastructure, allowing you to spot hostile actors and prevent further damage.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) “includes not only the automated monitoring and detection of threats on the endpoint, but also a combination of autonomous and manual investigation, remediation, and response,” explains VIPRE. Endpoint devices, such as laptops, workstations, and smartphones, are often the most vulnerable since they are utilized by end users who are not versed in responding to cyber incidents.

Hardening

When you “harden” something, you take measures to lessen the likelihood of it being compromised or attacked. It’s the modern equivalent of putting in burglar-proof glass and new locks to keep out intruders.

One form of hardening is patch management, which involves updating your hardware, software, and services to the most secure versions. This will make it harder for malicious actors to exploit previously discovered flaws. Email security, spam filters, antivirus software, and full-disk encryption are all examples of hardening policies and tools that keep data safe, even if it is physically removed from a company’s network or servers.

Response

How you react to attacks is equally as crucial as taking measures to prevent them. Even if a thief gains entry to your home, that doesn’t mean you’re helpless. Tools designed for responding to incidents can help you stop an attack or lessen its impact on your business. In this context, “response services” refers to both EDR and managed detection and response services provided by partners. Accessing a team of professionals around the clock will allow you to respond more quickly, which is why many businesses are outsourcing cybersecurity services.

Layered #security means using various complementary technologies, systems, and processes to ensure reactive and proactive defenses against #cyberthreats. For optimal security, these many systems and technologies must share information. #respectdataClick to Tweet

Although it can be challenging, there are numerous alternatives open to businesses when it comes to cybersecurity. The fact that they use multiple strategies to reduce risk is crucial. If not, you’ll be leaving your front door wide open.

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