Periodic assessments of cybersecurity plans, policies, and procedures are crucial in ensuring that an organization is prepared to handle cyber attacks and can quickly recover and resume operations following a disruptive event. These assessments, known as cyber resilience assessments, go beyond a simple checklist approach and require careful preparation and planning. By asking the right questions and conducting thorough assessments, organizations can identify areas for improvement and strengthen their cybersecurity posture.
One of the key questions to ask during a cyber resilience assessment is what is at risk from cyber attacks. This includes identifying potential vulnerabilities in employees, business systems, manufacturing systems, business processes, communications and network services, desktop systems, data storage facilities, network perimeters, and facilities systems. By understanding all the potential risk factors, organizations can develop comprehensive strategies to protect against cyber attacks.
Another important question is what types of cyber attacks could occur. With the constantly evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats, it is important to stay updated on the latest risks and threats. This includes not only common attacks like phishing, DDoS, viruses, and ransomware but also risks to critical infrastructure and supply chains. By conducting regular risk assessments, organizations can stay ahead of potential threats and implement proactive measures to prevent them.
Organizations also need to consider the likely threat vector access points. This includes identifying potential access points in the network perimeter, the use of remote access technologies, remote working practices, infected files that enter the organization’s network, and even the possibility of rogue employees planting software code that provides access to unauthorized users. By understanding these access points, organizations can implement measures to monitor and control them effectively.
Another important aspect of a cyber resilience assessment is evaluating how the organization currently responds to cyber attacks. This includes reviewing cybersecurity policies, incident response plans, event management plans, disaster recovery plans, and business continuity plans. These plans should outline specific actions and procedures for responding to cyber attacks and ensure that the organization can quickly recover and resume normal operations. Regular testing and updating of these plans and procedures are essential to maintain an effective response capability.
The assessment should also address the five key cyber-attack response activities: identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover. Organizations should examine all relevant cybersecurity materials to ensure that these activities are performed effectively. This includes conducting risk, threat, and vulnerability assessments to identify potential threat actors and attack vectors, implementing technologies like firewalls and intrusion detection systems to protect against attacks, using security hardware and software systems to detect possible malicious code, isolating and neutralizing malware through incident response plans, and implementing activities to recover damaged systems and services and resume normal operations.
Managing systems, software, and network cybersecurity is another important aspect of a cyber resilience assessment. This includes practices like patch management, antivirus and malware software updates, strong password management, strong access control measures, data backups, principle of least privilege access, hardware, network, and facility security, and even cybersecurity insurance.
Regular testing for cyber threats and vulnerabilities is crucial for an effective cybersecurity program. Organizations should have procedures and systems in place to regularly test and uncover potential vulnerabilities in their network perimeter and infrastructure. This can involve various techniques, including penetration testing.
It is also important to assess the frequency of testing cybersecurity plans, procedures, and systems. Threat actors are regularly updating and enhancing their malicious code, so organizations need to be diligent in their preparations. Regular updates to firewalls and intrusion detection systems can increase the likelihood of identifying threats. Additionally, cybersecurity teams should be well-trained and regularly updated on how to deal with cyber events.
Training of cybersecurity team members is critical to maintaining an effective cybersecurity program. They need to stay up to date on critical viruses, ransomware, phishing, and other malware activities occurring both locally and globally. They should also be familiar with cybersecurity applications and systems that identify suspicious code and reduce the likelihood of an attack.
In addition to the cybersecurity team, employees and senior management also need to be familiar with cybersecurity event procedures. Regular security awareness trainings and reminders on the importance of cybersecurity and the company’s policies can help ensure that employees know how to respond to an attack and mitigate its impact.
Finally, organizations need to assess their response to a cyber attack and identify areas for improvement. This includes evaluating the effectiveness of actions taken during the attack and launching follow-up actions to remediate any problems discovered. By continuously assessing and improving their cyber resilience, organizations can be better prepared for future attacks.
In conclusion, cyber resilience assessments are crucial for ensuring an organization’s ability to recover and resume operations following a cyber attack. By asking the right questions, evaluating current practices, and implementing necessary improvements, organizations can strengthen their cybersecurity risk posture and minimize the impact of cyber attacks. Regular assessments and testing are essential in maintaining an effective cybersecurity program and adapting to the evolving threat landscape. With proper preparation and planning, organizations can enhance their cyber resilience and protect their critical assets and operations.