The threat landscape is constantly changing. In 2023, hackers and cybercriminals are introducing new and innovative attacks, making it mission-critical to take a proactive approach to cyber security threat management.
According to the 2022 FBI Internet Crime Report, there were over 800,000 complaints filed during the year. While the overall number of complaints decreased from 2021, the total potential losses drastically increased in 2022 to more than $10 billion.
The reality is that every industry is vulnerable to attacks, and with new cyber security threats emerging regularly, your organization simply can’t afford to rely on yesterday’s technology.
Here are five steps from our partner Ntirety that you can take to take a proactive approach to your cyber security threat management.
#1. Partner With Experts
As the threats become increasingly sophisticated, keeping pace with what your organization must protect against can be extremely challenging.
This is why it’s critical that you partner with cyber security experts who know what’s happening in nearly real time. They have a pulse on what cybercriminals are up to and the best strategies and technology to protect your organization.
#2. Increase Staff Awareness and Education
Cyber security threat management is a group effort, so education and awareness training for all your staff is necessary.
Phishing emails sent to employees are a standard mode of attack. There are an estimated 3.4 billion fake emails sent every day. These emails can be hard to detect because they look legitimate.
Unfortunately, hackers can make it look like phishing emails are coming from leadership within the organization and then request personal information or direct the reader to an external link.
Additional areas that your cyber security threat management training should include:
- Passwords and authentication
- Mobile device security
- Working remotely
- Removable media
- Cloud security
- Social media use
- Social engineering
- Physical security on site
#3. Have an Incident Response Plan for Cyber Security Threat Management
Your incident response plan is the backbone of any cyber security threat detection program.
Here’s a quick list of items your incident response plan should cover:
- What’s considered a breach?
- What tools will you use to manage the breach?
- What are the responsibilities and roles of the security team members?
- What steps are needed to address the incident?
- How will the incident be investigated?
- How will the incident be communicated?
- What notifications will be needed after a breach occurs?
While your incident response plan will enable you to quickly and effectively manage any breaches, it also gives you a roadmap for being proactive with your cyber security.
#4. Implement Continuous Technical Monitoring
Continuous technical monitoring is the ongoing analysis and surveillance of a company’s IT infrastructure, applications, and systems. Monitoring will detect potential security threats and enable you to address them before they become a full-blown cyber-attack.
This monitoring can involve vulnerability scans, security information, and event management (SIEM) solutions to log and network traffic analysis and threat intelligence.
Continuous technical monitoring follows a standardized process, including data collection, normalization, analysis, threat monitoring and detection, response and remediation.
Implementing this kind of monitoring can keep your organization one step ahead and strengthen your security posture.
#5. Plan for Ongoing Updates
Cyber security threat management requires an ongoing focus. As tech evolves, so do the potential threats, so your processes and policies must stay current.
There’s no such thing as being too prepared for potential threats.
For example, the COVID-19 pandemic brought many unexpected challenges, and organizations needed to move swiftly to adapt. The focus from protecting data and assets in the office changed to finding ways to protect data when employees worked remotely. For many companies, they needed to make updates to their policies and procedures.
Without regular updates, you’re that much more vulnerable to attacks. Plus, it can result in a lack of compliance or not meeting industry standards.
Cyber Security Threat Management: Knowledge is Power
As you continue to navigate an evolving landscape, embracing a proactive stance towards cyber security threat management is essential.
Your organization can fortify its defenses and ensure a resilient cyber security posture with a proactive approach and strategic support from experts.
Bridgepointe’s cyber security experts have worked with hundreds of organizations and are ready to help you define and design a proactive approach to your security.
Reach out to us today to book an introductory call.