Beat Them to the Punch
Don’t give the adversary even the smallest fighting chance. Adopting the right security best practices ensures your business can continue to operate effectively and is set up for long-term success.
1. Prevent Initial Compromise
Conducting a regular security risk assessment goes a long way in preventing initial compromise. Get a thorough understanding of possible cyber threats that are specific to your systems and model out the possible impact they would have on your business. Make sure that you shore up any vulnerable areas found in your systems. Preventative actions include, but are not limited to:
- Hardening remote access VPN solutions
- Using a vulnerability scanning tool or service
- Protecting internet-facing services
- Establishing strategies against credential stuffing and brute force attacks, password spraying tactics, and phishing/whaling campaigns.
2. Enable/Improve Logging & Monitoring Processes
Controlled and effective log monitoring can help you detect anomalies, detect threat patterns, and show you signs of exploitable areas in your networks. Logs are most effective when they are actively monitored by experienced Managed Detection & Response (MDR). Analysts can sift through complex logs, compile threat intelligence in real-time, and detain at the first sign of compromise. In the hands of an experienced MDR team, real-time comprehension, threat hunting, and response can enhance the value of security logs and telemetry collected from your network processes, devices, and systems.
3. Develop & Implement Incident Response & Recovery Plans
Cyber Security policies on incident response and recovery should be clear and properly supported during initial implementation and ongoing business operations. A key component of an incident response plan is to define designated roles, emergency contacts, communication channels, backup and recovery procedures, etc. These policies ensure that if disaster strikes, you are efficient in your response and recovery. Policies should be regularly revisited and communicated to all team leaders.
4. Promote Transparency & Continuing Education/Support
Security is everyone’s responsibility. Work with your internal IT team or external managed services provider (MSP) to document clear cybersecurity policies fitting for your business and then set out to educate all your team members on how to embrace it.
Taking time to provide regular cybersecurity awareness campaigns and training allows your employees to:
- Better understand their responsibility for cyber security within their day-to-day tasks.
- Realise that cyber security affects their own safety at work, not just the interests of their company.
- Become mindful that they could unknowingly pass on or expose sensitive information if not trained and prepared.
- Continue to work safely and efficiently from remote locations.
- Stay vigilant against social engineering tactics, phishing emails, and malicious links and attachments.
In part 2 of ‘Top top cyber defence actions for you and your business,’ we will explain how you can ‘Keep Your House in Order’ when it comes to your cyber security hygiene.
Contact Cyber Security Company LoughTec for a free no-obligation discussion on your business cyber security posture. Call +44 (0) 28 8225 2445 or email info@loughtec.com.
