The modernization of resources and tools used in a company's day-to-day operations has made cybersecurity a priority within organizations. The constant evolution of cyber threats has become a recurring concern, making it necessary to optimize the digital defense strategy to ensure data protection. The 2023 SANS Institute survey brought very important recommendations for businesses that want to improve their security.
Thinking about keeping you up to date with the main market demands and helping your company increase security, we have separated the main points mentioned by the research for more effective implementation of digital security within your business.
What is the SANS Institute?
Founded in 1989, SANS – System Administration, Audit, Networking and Security is a North American company specializing in cybersecurity and digital security training. Every year this organization prepares a document with the main security vulnerabilities within the internet, helping companies in all sectors to remain safer.
The main objective of this organization is to promote training in the area of cybersecurity, with highly specialized employees in the sector. The materials developed and research carried out by this Institute are extremely important in the cybersecurity sector, collecting fundamental data for the development of new security tools and strategies.
Digital defense strategies
The “Visibility and attack surface” research brought some very valuable recommendations for organizations that want to optimize their security strategy and stay up to date with the main threats surrounding the digital environment .
Here are some tips we have put together for you:
Device visibility
Considering that in a business network there are two to three devices per user, it is essential to keep a close eye on the visibility of these devices . This is because there is a recurring concern regarding data privacy, but a certain negligence regarding the visibility of these machines. This factor became so important when managers began to notice several unsanctioned applications and resources on the company's network.
Proactive patches
According to the 2023 report, it has become very important to implement a more rigorous patching strategy to optimize your security strategy. This way, the company's vulnerabilities will be addressed proactively, allowing threats to be mitigated more efficiently.
Understand better what patches are: Patch
Security metrics
We know that implementing security tools is essential to optimize processes within your company and avoid scams and cyber threats. In this sense, it is essential to adopt measurements to determine the effectiveness of your strategy. Collecting consolidated data on the cybersecurity strategy, such as detection time, attack attempts and time required to resolve issues, is essential for implementing improvements.
Third-party risk management
Many companies rely on, in addition to their employees, several affiliated partners and suppliers to develop the activity. Considering that these people and companies will have direct contact with your business, it is also necessary to evaluate the security strategy of these entities, avoiding the emergence of possible vulnerabilities and entry points for cybercriminals.
Social media
It's not new that we talk about risks because they can be found within social media . In this sense, it is essential to establish controls and monitoring resources within these platforms to maximize your protection strategy . If necessary, the company can also block this type of access to prevent attacks and data compromise.
Continuous safety training
Having a team prepared to deal with today's main cyber threats is a fundamental step, but it is also necessary to train your employees .
Furthermore, there are several topics that are related to your security strategy and should be discussed with all your workers involved. The more prepared your team is, the less likely they are to suffer from cyber attacks.
Investing in more efficient digital security strategies is essential
Strengthening security measures within your company is essential for the business to remain active in the market and avoid the main threats that cause countless losses to organizations. Maximizing your cybersecurity strategy is more than just adopting efficient tools to keep data protected.
It is essential that there is a change in the company's culture with a focus on mitigating threats and avoiding points of vulnerability. Many of the cyber threats that can reach your company and cause problems are triggered by a lack of information or carelessness on the part of employees.
The recommendations brought by the SANS Institute 2023 survey demonstrated how companies have been neglecting certain factors because they do not see the risk behind the small details. The data stored by your company is one of the main business assets and protecting this information should be a priority regardless of your sector.
