With today's "new normal" ratcheting up the threat level, bolstering cybersecurity has become even more critical than before the pandemic. Here are five defensive measures that can help IT teams minimize the risk of cyberattacks and associated damage to the business. While you may think your business once had these areas under control, the reality is that may no longer be true thanks to the changing dynamics of our new landscape. Consequently, every organization should reevaluate its approach by taking these steps:
1. Conduct A Risk Assessment
Knowing where to focus your remediation efforts requires identifying the biggest weaknesses in your security fabric. This can be achieved by performing a risk assessment, either internally or with the help of an outside consultant. The process is essentially a security health check covering hardware devices, applications, network connections, user authentication systems, data classification and storage and other IT components and policies. Any vulnerabilities detected by this analysis can be prioritized based on the risk level and used to create a roadmap for strengthening your security posture.
Most corporate networks have what is essentially an open floor plan. Employees can reach whatever they need without going through different doors (technically speaking, routers or firewalls). This "flat" network enables an adversary who gains access to a user's computer to roam freely on a search for valuable data, then stage an attack against the relevant servers to steal it.