4 Tips for Scaling Up Enterprise Cyber Security Efforts

First Posted: Apr 13, 2020 03:30 PM EDT
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4 Tips for Scaling Up Enterprise Cyber Security Efforts

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Are you certain your enterprise can stand up to a cybersecurity attack? The answer may surprise you. According to a 2019 PricewaterhouseCooperssurvey of 3,000 business leadersfrom around the world, only 39 percent of executives are confident they have adequate safeguards in place to deal with threats they may face - and just over half (53 percent) believe they are "building sufficient resilience to attacks."

The survey also revealed other areas for improvement - like the ability for businesses to effectively measure their own defenses, and a lack of testing ahead of a cyberattack.

One challenge many companies encounter as they grow is cybersecurity efforts fail to automatically grow with them. Running a bigger operation with more potential vulnerabilities always means reconsidering your approach to cybersecurity.

With that in mind, here are four tips for scaling up enterprise cybersecurity infrastructure to minimize the chances of a successful attack or breach.

1. Make IT Security a Business-Wise Priority 

In the past, businesses often viewed cybersecurity as primarily the domain of the IT team - as well as primarily a matter of technology. This mindset is changing rapidly as enterprises face a wider array of risks from an increasing number of sources.

In today's hyperconnected world, companies must treat cybersecurity "as a strategic business priority and not just an IT decision," as one expert advises for Industry Week. It's helpful to think of cybersecurity as a constant, proactive endeavor requiring the attention of all hands on deck rather than a remote activity that takes place within the tech department. It's about people and processes in addition to tech tools.

Further, cybersecurity is about more than just defending against certain types of attacks as they emerge. The goal should be building an all-encompassing strategy for mitigating risk with multiple layers of protection - complete with data analysis and network monitoring to better identify potential vulnerabilities.

2. Anticipate Risks in a Growing Threat Landscape

Scaling up usually means accommodating more devices on a single network. Consider the effect of bring-your-own-device policies on IT networks for instance. Suddenly hundreds or thousands of employees may be bringing multiple mobile devices into the workplace, or even connecting remotely.

Oneunsecured endpoint can spell trouble for an entire network, which underscores the importance of endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions. Scalable EDR security monitors and analyzes endpoint device usage to quickly detect potential threats - and enable a quick response.

The takeaway? 

What worked well cybersecurity-wise for 10 employees is insufficient for 100 employee - or 1,000. Asthe number of endpoints connecting to a network scales upward, monitoring and response efforts must keep pace.

3. Harness the Power of AI & Machine Learning

Cyberattacks are now possible to execute at machine scale, which means organizations must also think of cybersecurity at machine scale. Tools powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can detect patterns across vast swaths of data more quickly than human analysts can handle manually. Before you fret about having to replace analysts, consider the fact this tech can actually free up their expertise for more strategic and large-scale projects - while leaving the data mining to scalable algorithms.

4. Foster a Cybersecurity-Aware Workforce

The final piece of the puzzle is fostering a cybersecurity-savvy workforce through training, best practices and company culture.

Here are some tips for helping employees understand cybersecurity risk and abide by best practices from TechRepublic:

  • Perform simulation exercises to help employees understand what attacks look like and how to act before, during and after.

  • Get buy-in from C-suite leaders so they'll prioritize cybersecurity in their own behavior and in budgetary decisions.

  • Communicate clearly and often about expectations and new information

  • Teach users about "cyber hygiene" on-premises and at remote worksites.

  • Reward employees for reporting cybersecurity issues and avoiding phishing scams, among other desirable behaviors.

Scaling up cybersecurity efforts requires companywide involvement beyond just IT experts - as well as strengthening of people and processes in addition to tech solutions.

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