A few critical cybersecurity controls implemented correctly and monitored regularly can go a long way towards preventing data breaches. The trick, for organizations wanting to stay protected against the most common cyber threats, is to first get the basics right and use these essential controls as the foundation for building more complex controls over time.
It is hard to protect every single asset in a typical IT environment which now goes beyond the network perimeter to include cloud applications and more. For effectively protecting assets that are dispersed across computing systems and geographies, IT teams need to identify what needs to be protected, prioritize assets by criticality, and put essential controls in place to safeguard the most sensitive and business-critical assets.
Essential, proactive steps that can make it difficult for malicious actors to get an entry into internal systems include asset discovery, vulnerability management, secure configuration, data protection and access management.
Asset Discovery and Classification
Understanding the full scope of an organization’s assets is a critical step. Asset discovery involves identifying and inventorying all devices, systems, and applications in use within the organization’s extended network. Classification then helps prioritize assets based on their criticality and sensitivity. This knowledge allows organizations to allocate resources effectively, focusing on securing the most vital components of their infrastructure.
Vulnerability and Patch Management
Effective and ongoing vulnerability and patch management are foundational to the success of any risk reduction strategy. Discovering, assessing, and mitigating or patching vulnerabilities swiftly help prevent attackers from exploiting security weaknesses in systems and software. A strong vulnerability management program can significantly reduce the attack surface and enhance overall resilience.
Sensitive Data Identification and Protection
Not all data holds equal value, and organizations must prioritize protecting their most sensitive information. They can do this by first identifying sensitive data and where it is stored – whether on-prem on in the cloud – and classifying it by criticality. By understanding the value and criticality of different data types, organizations can tailor protective measures to safeguard their most valuable assets effectively. Protective measures may include encrypting or deleting data, moving sensitive data to a more secure location, or changing access permissions. Additionally, maintaining data backups offline or in the cloud is important to get systems and operations back up quickly during security incidents.
Secure Configuration
Configuring systems securely, too, is among the top preventative controls against cyber threats. By establishing and maintaining secure configuration settings for hardware, software, and network components, organizations can minimize entry points for attackers. This can be done by using best practice frameworks such as the CIS Benchmarks or DISA STIGs as secure configuration baselines, and regularly monitoring systems to prevent drift from a secure state.
Access Management
Another pivotal security control is limiting access to systems and data based on the principle of least privilege. This means that protected assets should be accessible only to individuals who need access to perform their jobs. Strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), and continuous monitoring can help prevent unauthorized users from compromising sensitive information.
Compliance Management
Adhering to regulatory requirements and industry standards can be difficult as privacy legislation and policies get more stringent and complex. Organizations can make this process simpler by using tools to map their controls to the regulations relevant to them. By staying compliant, organizations not only avoid legal repercussions but also strengthen their security posture.
By focusing on essential controls like asset discovery, vulnerability management, data classification, data protection, secure configuration and access management, organizations can establish a strong cybersecurity foundation. This proactive approach not only addresses common threats but also lays the groundwork for implementing more advanced controls and staying resilient against emerging cyber risks.
How CYRISMA can help
CYRISMA was developed with the aim of simplifying cybersecurity by providing essential risk reduction tools within a single, easy-to-use SaaS platform. With CYRISMA, organizations can implement a whole range of basic security controls such as asset discovery and classification; vulnerability and patch management; secure OS configuration; sensitive data discovery and protection; and compliance tracking.
Learn how you can strengthen your own and your customers’ security posture using CYRISMA. Watch our three-minute demo video.