Effective enterprise cybersecurity entails more than simply having your staff construct a password that isn’t their pet’s name—unless, of course, their cat’s name is at least 12 characters long and a mix of upper- and lower-case letters and symbols. Threat actors are getting bolder, whether it is through well-researched spear phishing attacks or avoiding MFA. Having a dependable and strong cybersecurity strategy in place can not only protect your organization’s finances but also its reputation in light of the rising volume and velocity of data breaches occurring across industries globally as well as the record-breaking 71% of organisations being victims of ransomware in 2022.
What is enterprise cybersecurity?
An enterprise’s cybersecurity involves protecting its information, data, and digital assets. There may be a misconception that enterprise cybersecurity is just for large businesses, but companies of all sizes should have a strong enterprise cybersecurity program. Besides keeping hackers at bay, this program also ensures that breaches (both accidental and intentional) don’t occur within the company. When it comes to privacy laws, following best practices for enterprise cybersecurity can also help ensure the responsible use of employee and customer data.
Why is enterprise cybersecurity important?
By implementing an enterprise cybersecurity program, businesses can prevent data leaks, keep sensitive customer information safe, and minimize financial losses. Cybersecurity is a field where “no news is good news,” especially when it comes to breaking cybersecurity news. It’s rare for companies to make headlines for their stellar cyber hygiene; it’s only when a major incident occurs that they draw attention. Their success can be enhanced by strategically investing in their security infrastructures
In fact, according to eScan, businesses will spend $188.3 billion overall in 2023 on information security and risk management services and products. In addition, eScan has identified many important driving forces behind this expansion, including an increase in remote and hybrid work, a move away from Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in favour of zero trust network access, and a move to cloud-based delivery models.
What are the top enterprise cybersecurity threats?
Over the past few years, practically everything we do has undergone a significant change. The risk of cyberattacks has also increased as a result of the evolution of evil actors. The security of an enterprise extends far beyond the confines of an office building, including bathrooms, coworking spaces, and even private residences. There are several challenges to company cybersecurity, including remote or hybrid work, supply chain assaults, cloud security, ransomware attacks, phishing, and even a cybersecurity skills gap. Also, in order to reduce risks and vulnerabilities, firms must constantly be one step ahead.
How can enterprises protect themselves from cyber threats?
Cybersecurity is crucial for protecting businesses against cyber threats and protecting sensitive data from theft, unauthorized access, and destruction. In an increasingly technological world and amidst ever-changing cyber threats, it is imperative that organizations stay up to date on networking and data security best practices.
The following are some best practices for enterprise cybersecurity:
1. Define assets and environment
Know the resources available to your business, including servers, workstations, and cloud services. Ensure effective cyber hygiene and the ability to respond quickly in the event of an incident by creating an inventory of these assets.
2. Implement early detection systems
By using tool, administrators can be notified quickly of breaches, preventing further damage.
3. Utilize an end-to-end data protection software
Data protection software provides comprehensive security for all organization data, from creation to access and deletion. By following this practice, data is also handled and transferred correctly throughout its journey.
4. Implement a Zero-Trust framework
Implementing a Zero-Trust framework can help secure an organization by continuously validating and authenticating all users.
5. Ensure data encryption
By encrypting data, information can be accessed or decrypted by only authorized users. Encrypting data is crucial for businesses that deal with sensitive information like financial data, personal information, and intellectual property. Encryption reduces the risk of a data breach and protects businesses against the potential consequences of such an event, such as reputational damage and legal liability.
6. Configuration management
By keeping track of system configuration changes and monitoring and enforcing compliance with security policies and standards, configuration management assists companies in maintaining control over their IT systems and ensuring that they are configured appropriately and consistently. To improve security and lower risk, it’s crucial to spot errors in a system’s default setup.
7. Understand the cyberhealth of target organizations
Every device used by an organisation could be a point of entry for a hacker. Examine not only your organization’s cyber health, but also the cyber health of the organisations and vendors with whom you collaborate.
8. Continuously monitor vendor security
Businesses should be aware of their vendors’ security procedures and make sure they comply with their own requirements given the rising reliance on technology and the use of third-party contractors. Businesses can discover any possible dangers or vulnerabilities and take action to address them by regularly monitoring vendor security. This may entail doing routine security audits, evaluating vendor contracts and procedures, and compelling contractors to adhere to particular security requirements.
9. Report to executives and boards
Keep senior members of your organisation informed about the cybersecurity landscape, communicate key metrics, and ensure that investments in critical infrastructure are made. Effective cybersecurity reporting to executives should include information on the current state of the organization’s cybersecurity posture, any identified risks or vulnerabilities, and the steps being taken to address these issues. Providing regular cybersecurity updates and reports to board members can help organisations stay ahead of potential threats and take proactive measures to protect their data. It can also help to build trust with stakeholders and demonstrate the organization’s commitment to cybersecurity.
10. Verify regulatory compliance
Create safeguards to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of data, including how it is transported and kept. Businesses can safeguard themselves from legal liability and fines as well as stay current on the most recent regulatory standards by maintaining and checking regulatory compliance.
11. Integrate and automate workflows
Minimize complexity by using automated report production, certificate expiration notifications, information storage and access, and other methods. By allowing for real-time monitoring and reaction to potential threats, automating procedures can also assist organisations in lowering the risk of a data breach.
12. Administrative review
During an administrative review, a company can assess its current security posture, identify any weaknesses or vulnerabilities, and take corrective action. This includes updating policies and procedures, implementing new technologies or processes, and implementing employee training and awareness programmes. Administrative reviews assist you in obtaining an in-depth and unbiased assessment of your organization’s cybersecurity health, as well as its practises and vulnerabilities.
13. Educate your employees
Employee training on cybersecurity best practises on a regular basis significantly lowers breaches. Ascertain that they have the tools needed to recognise phishing efforts, contact IT, and report any potential incidents.
14. Install a risk mitigation strategy
A risk mitigation strategy often entails identifying the potential threats to the data of an organisation, assessing the likelihood and severity of those threats, and putting countermeasures in place. Have a risk mitigation strategy and plan in place to be proactive for any cybersecurity occurrence, whether it involves prevention, detection, or remediation.
You must have a precise understanding of your IT environment in order to fully comprehend your organization’s cybersecurity posture. Prioritizing the steps required to safeguard your company’s assets depends on your ability to recognise the largest threats.
Establish strong enterprise cybersecurity with eScan
Understanding your security grade will help you identify the risk elements that require your attention at the outset of your journey to an optimised security posture. The assets that make up your digital portfolio can be reviewed with eScan in order to spot potential problems such unmanaged endpoints, apps, web domains, and more.
Turning insights into usable workflows is simple with eScan’s enterprise cyber risk management using the security tools you already have. This allows you to maximise the impact of your security resources and measure your operations. You’ll be able to communicate with executives and boards, updating them on internal initiatives and third-party risk to ensure they understand that good enterprise cyber health is not only a security strategy, but also a business strategy. Get in touch with us right away.
