Digital transformation has been a shock to the system for security teams — the attack landscape is ever-evolving, and organizations are constantly using new tech. From a security perspective, it can be hard to keep up.
When building and optimizing your security program, your goal should always be to create a proactive environment where the people, processes, and technologies are equipped to identify, analyze, and respond to current and emerging cyber threats. In this post, I’ll share concrete steps you can take and important things to consider to formulate, implement, and improve an effective cybersecurity program at your organization.
Whether you’re just getting started or already have a program, your focus should be on identifying business requirements, business risks, and assessing critical assets. At each organization, cybersecurity programs will vary based on business requirements and your technology stack.
Here are a few steps that should be considered when building your security program:
It’s no secret that building a cybersecurity program takes time and money. It’s also no secret that building a program isn’t going to happen overnight — but instead will mature over time. To reach an optimal maturity level, you must first understand your organization's culture, the business domain, and the capabilities of your technology stack and personnel.
There are many frameworks for maturing your security program. In this post, we’ll use Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) as a reference. This framework includes a roadmap for maturing your cybersecurity program and breaks it down into a few levels. Let’s focus on levels 1 through 3.
When using CMMC as a guide, organizations should strive to reach level 3 maturity or greater. To reach that level, your security program will have to be under a constant state of optimization.
In today’s digital world, there are a few requirements that can’t be missed when optimizing your security program:
Satisfying this requirement will lead to a reduction in response time and security incidents. That’s because team members will have an understanding for how to support each other and hold team members accountable.
Imagine being invited to a security incident to identify details about an affected asset that you had no idea existed and that has no documentation. Collaboration is a necessity — and great collaboration begins with leadership defining roles and responsibilities.
Incorporating adaptable technologies is investing in the right security solutions for your organization. Solutions that will:
Each organization is unique, but a few technology solutions that any organization can benefit from are:
It’s unlikely that a security strategy or solution will be created to stop all the threats and identify all suspicious activity — which is why attracting and retaining talent is essential. To attract and retain talent, team members must have the opportunity to develop new skills, receive mentorship, and provide mentorship. A collaborative cybersecurity team will assist with building a cybersecurity program and reduce the amount of time it takes to respond to security alerts and incidents.
It's essential to build and optimize a cybersecurity program that's going to enable your organization and team members to innovate freely. A successful cybersecurity program is built by a proactive organization where all team members serve as the first line of defense.
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