A cybersecurity strategy is a sophisticated plan for securing your organization’s assets over the next three to five years. Since technology and cyber threats are both unpredictable, you’ll likely need to revise your approach sooner than later. A cybersecurity strategy is not intended to be perfect; rather, it is a well-informed judgment as to what you should do. Your strategy should grow in tandem with your organization and the environment around you. A fully secure firm has a solid cybersecurity strategy in place, as well as a well-defined approach to handle future security needs.
What is a Cybersecurity Strategy
A cybersecurity strategy is a blueprint as to how your company intends to secure its assets and reduce cybersecurity threats. The cybersecurity strategy, like the cybersecurity policy, should be a dynamic, live document that is responsive to the current threat landscape and ever-changing business climate.
A cybersecurity strategy is required if you want to move from a reactive strategy of dealing with issues as they arise to a proactive and structured approach that is ready to meet the uncertainties and challenges that are unavoidable in any modern business environment. In times of uncertainty or crisis, a documented cybersecurity strategy provides structure and guidance to make sure you stay equipped and avoid disarray.
Creating a Cybersecurity Strategy for Your Company
When developing a cyber security strategy, there is no one-size-fits-all solution because each business’ needs are unique. The following are the basic steps you can follow to develop your strategy:
- Identify your cyber threat environment. You must first study the types of cyber threats that your firm is now subjected to. Which types of threats are now affecting your firm the most frequently and severely: malware, phishing, insider threats, or something else? Familiarize yourself with expected cyber threat trends that may influence your firm. Understanding what dangers you will face in the future, as well as the expected severity of each of those threats, is critical to developing an effective cybersecurity strategy.
- Evaluate your cybersecurity competence. You must conduct an objective assessment of your organization’s cybersecurity maturity. Choose a cybersecurity framework to measure your organization’s competence in dozens of distinct categories and subcategories. If ransomware is your most serious security threat, ensuring that your backup and recovery mechanisms are well-developed may be critical. If the COVID-19-driven remote work norms become permanent, interim tools used during the pandemic will need to be strengthened.
- Examine security policies. The purpose of security policies is to address security concerns and put cyber security plans in place. To ensure that security policies are up to date and can handle advanced threats, current policies should be reviewed regularly to verify that they correspond with the business model. Security awareness campaigns are critical ways of enforcing security standards.
- Implement your security strategy. It is now time to prioritize cleanup efforts and delegate responsibilities to teams. Assign remedial issues to internal teams in order of importance, and set realistic remedy deadline targets. It is preferable to set a fair time frame and then exceed expectations. Setting deadlines that may be too ambitious and unreasonable is a formula for a crisis. It is preferable to set a fair time frame and exceed expectations.
- Examine your security strategy. This final step in the development of the cyber security strategy marks the beginning of continuing security plan support. Threat actors will continue to exploit weaknesses, regardless of the organization’s size. The security strategy must be evaluated and verified regularly to ensure that the plan’s objectives fit with the threat landscape.
An effective cybersecurity strategy extends beyond technology and tools. Don’t be hesitant to revise your approach as cyber threats and security technology evolve, and as your firm acquires new types of assets that require protection. Do you have a solid cybersecurity strategy in place? Are all of your assets and systems appropriately safeguarded? If your answer is no, or you are unclear, contact Expert IT Solutions to learn how we can help you strengthen your security.
