In the interconnected world of today, globalization has become a term synonymous with growth and expansion. But this glittering aspect comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to security. Interconnecting with networks and data may be beneficial, but it also exposes businesses to vulnerabilities in certain regions, and this is something that can’t be ignored.
As the world is witnessing an increase in cyber threats and attacks, companies need to take a second look at their global office locations. IT teams need to implement stringent security practices when it comes to regions that have a history of hacking/ransomware, laws against personal and commercial privacy, advocating/practicing nation-state spying, requiring nation-state filters (internet inspection and proxies), a history of raiding commercial offices, a largely oppressed population or economy, and a significant history of stealing intellectual property.
It is essential to categorize the risk level of each country according to the following groups –
Risk Group 1 (high risk): Countries with which your region is in active or potential military/ideological conflict, or engaged in significant economic or technological competition, regions that generate the most hacking activities, aside from your country or its allies, countries that do not respect corporate privacy laws.
Risk Group 2 (moderate risk): Politically neutral countries that are economically depressed and show higher rates of digital crime.
For all other countries, they must assume some risk, and hence, be considered as “Risk Group 3.”
It would be ideal to isolate and segment each office that resides in a separate country. However, usability, cost, and timely response become a hurdle. Therefore, some general security guidelines per country group are recommended.
Offices in Risk Group 1 carry the highest level of risk and must be completely isolated from the corporate network. These offices should adhere to security best practices, including zero-trust principles, layered security across people, process, and technology, and stringent lateral movement defenses.
Offices in Risk Group 2 countries represent modest hacking and corporate privacy risks. Users in these locations should not have blanket access to global systems, and strictly enforced role-based access control should be leveraged. User access should be logged in the risk register.
Risk Group 3 doesn’t require special protections, but the global organization should be employing security best practices and understand and implement identity, endpoint, and lateral movement defenses.
The decision to expand globally entails some serious usability and cost tradeoffs, and there are no zero risks involved. Hence, leadership must establish the risk tolerance and decide the controls they wish to make within those tolerance levels to demonstrate that reasonable care has been taken to protect the business.
It’s important to be realistic about the risks involved while interacting with various counterparties in the world to operate safely, especially in an at-times adversarial landscape.
In conclusion, while globalization has its own set of advantages, it comes coupled with substantial risk factors, especially when it comes to locations with a history of cybercrime and security threats. Categorizing the countries according to their risk levels and establishing security controls in line with these levels is essential to ensure the safety and security of global offices.