In an organization, security is everything. It is advisable to improve your security resiliency and performance and be prepared for the future.

 

It is imperative to identify all critical devices, applications, and networks vulnerable to internal and external security vulnerabilities when assessing your company’s security position. An enterprise network should have a zero-trust architecture, in which no one, no device, and no application should be trusted by default, whether it’s an internal network or an external network.

 

A firm’s security posture, including infrastructure and processes, can be evaluated effectively by following these five steps:

 

1. Identify the gaps in technology 

As security threats evolve, they become more damaging and more effective. Thus, security technology must also evolve constantly to keep up with the latest threats. A crucial part of your defense strategy should be evaluating the technology you have been using for four- or five-plus years, enabling you to become more resistant to external threats.

 

2. Utilize best-in-class standards 

Utilize time-tested approaches and methodologies based on industry standards and practices, such as the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), when evaluating your company’s threats, vulnerabilities, and potential penetration points. Using these best-in-class approaches, you can ensure that your applications, data, and systems are protected.

 

3. Ensure compliance requirements are met 

There are many regulations and standards that organizations must abide by, including PCI-DSS, HIPAA, SOX, and GLBA. Both internal and external rules must be followed. Your company likely works with many partners, vendors and/or customers who have their compliance requirements. Ensure that all your internal and external data is protected in a security assessment to avoid non-compliance costs.

 

4. Evaluate your security management resources

Recruiting and retaining senior-level security professionals can be challenging. External expert support is an option to consider. CISO-as-a-Service options allow executives to focus on other business objectives by training the appropriate person(s) internally or overseeing security ultimately.

 

5. Develop a remediation roadmap 

Security experts are often called in only after an organization has been breached; this can be expensive and time-consuming. By having policies and processes in place ahead of time, staff will know what to do in a security breach and act accordingly (e.g., who needs to be notified). Set up scenarios and simulate real-world incidents and respond to ensure you know what steps to take across the organization.

 

Apart from these five steps, there are some critical questions that modern organizations should regularly revisit, including:

 

• Are you aware of our organization’s security posture and associated risks?
• Are your employees security-conscious?
• How mature is your cybersecurity?
• Can we meet the Cybersecurity Maturity Model?