Six Updates Companies Need to Make to Modernize Their Cybersecurity

Page 3 of 2

Six Updates Companies Need to Make to Modernize Their Cybersecurity

Having an up-to-date cybersecurity plan is crucial for enterprises that want to stay as protected as possible from the latest threats in the online realm. Here are six things you can do to be proactive against potential issues.

1. Make Employees' Cybersecurity Training Ongoing

In the case of many kinds of workplace training, people learn about the topic once a year at most. Then, they quickly forget the learned material after the training event and have few or no opportunities to apply it in real life. When that happens with cybersecurity, employees are not adequately equipped to play their roles in helping safeguard against threats.

A study of businesses in the United Kingdom found that only 46 percent of polled organizations provided cybersecurity awareness training beyond new hire onboarding or annual refresher courses. If employees receive regular updates about cybersecurity issues affecting the company, they'll know how to spot risks and not fall for things like phishing attempts.

2. Incorporate More Frequent Board-Level Cybersecurity Discussions

Ideally, a cybersecurity plan must take a top-down approach where the people at the highest levels of a company, as well as the board of directors, are aware of the most pressing threats and their mitigation efforts. However, most of the time, that doesn't happen.

Research from McKinsey showed that only a quarter of companies present cybersecurity matters to the board of directors more than once a year. Moreover, up to 35 percent of companies only give that information to the board on request. Any cybersecurity plan should implement regular cybersecurity discussions with the board, such as every month.

If a company has cybersecurity-related checks they make on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, representatives from that organization should add board discussions to the monthly checklist.

Board members don't need to become cybersecurity experts. But they must know what's happening from a cybersecurity standpoint and how potential attacks could negatively impact the organization. Then, they can make smart decisions about the company's future competitiveness in the marketplace and avoid pitfalls.

3. Set Security Policies That Relate to the Information Each Employee Needs

Many companies are far too lenient when it comes to employee access to sensitive documents. Sometimes they don't have any access-related security policies in place at all, which increases the risk of information mismanagement and the potential breach of client confidentiality.

The 2018 Data Risk Report from Varonis revealed that 88 percent of companies with at least 1 million folders of data had more than 100,000 of them open to everyone. Additionally, in 21 percent of cases, all employees had access to every folder owned by the company.

On the other end of the spectrum, an employee could quickly get frustrated if they regularly need to access documents requiring login information they don't have. A company should update its cybersecurity plan by using a security policy manager to establish, adjust or remove individual security policies for the documents that employees use.

This approach works well when a company scales up and may need to let remote teams access certain folders to do their work off-site, for example. Companies may decide that the easiest thing to do is let most employees have access to most or all files, which is not a smart move when it comes to cybersecurity.

4. Download Operating System Updates on All Applicable Devices

When creating or updating their cybersecurity plans, many companies examine their networks but don't pay enough attention to the devices connected to them. Doing a device-level assessment of risks is especially essential, since many people bring their own devices to work or use personal devices outside of work hours to access sensitive files from home.

A market share report spanning from April 2018 to March 2019 showed that Windows 7 still edged out Windows 10 for the top operating system. However, outdated operating systems increase the overall vulnerability to threats. The situation is even worse if people don't install security patches associated with known issues on those older operating systems.

A substantial part of a company's cybersecurity plan should encompass updating all the operating systems on company computers — including personal devices that people bring from home. Otherwise, a company could be more prone to threats than it seems on the surface.

5. Make an Incident Response Plan That's Specific to Your Organization

It's not sufficient for companies to come up with a cookie-cutter approach to responding to cybersecurity problems. A team of researchers recently worked on creating a better incident response framework for cybersecurity incidents. They looked at weaknesses within organizations and discovered that one of the common flaws was that companies created generic response plans.

The researchers caution that it's preferable to plan for incidents in ways that are specific to the company. That includes having a clear, actionable list of steps to take after an incident. Furthermore, all people in the organization must have access to that plan and know how to act on it — not just the IT department or cybersecurity team.

6. Prioritize Cybersecurity Hiring or Upskilling

There is a global cybersecurity skills gap of nearly 3 million positions. This issue makes it incredibly difficult for companies to find enough cybersecurity talent. However, you should still emphasize talent management as part of your updated cybersecurity process.

If a look at your previous cybersecurity plan shows you don't have enough staff members to keep up with demand, consider upskilling people in other IT roles by signing them up for cybersecurity boot camps or online certificate courses.

Having a relevant and current cybersecurity plan is one necessity, of course. But the cybersecurity professionals responsible for carrying it out also need to thoroughly understand the most likely threats a company may experience. That can't happen if you treat cybersecurity as an afterthought.

Updated Plans Increase Protection

These items show that numerous factors can render your IT plan outdated. Fortunately, it's easy to fix them and make smarter decisions moving forward. Doing that helps organizations avoid costly cybersecurity issues.

About the Author

Kayla Matthews is a writer and tech journalist Visit her personal blog, Productivity Bytes.

Featured

  • The Business Case for Video Analytics: Understanding the Real ROI

    For security professionals who may be hesitant to invest in video analytics, now's the time to reconsider. In a newly released Omdia report commissioned by BriefCam (now Milestone Systems), the research firm uncovered a compelling story: more than 85% of North American and European organizations that use video analytics achieve a return on investment within just one year. The study, which surveyed 140 end users across multiple industries, demonstrates that security technology is no longer just for security — it's a cross-organizational tool that delivers measurable business value far beyond traditional safety applications. Read Now

  • Survey: 54% of Organizations Cite Technical Debt as Top Hurdle to Identity System Modernization

    Modernizing identity systems is proving difficult for organizations due to two key challenges: decades of accumulated Identity and Access Management (IAM) technical debt and the complexity of managing access across multiple identity providers (IDPs). These findings come from the new Strata Identity-commissioned report, State of Multi-Cloud Identity: Insights and Trends for 2025. The report, based on survey data from the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), highlights trends and challenges in securing cloud environments. The CSA is the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment. Read Now

  • Study: Only 35 Percent of Companies Include Cybersecurity Teams When Implementing AI

    Only 35 percent of cybersecurity professionals or teams are involved in the development of policy governing the use of AI technology in their enterprise, and nearly half (45 percent) report no involvement in the development, onboarding, or implementation of AI solutions, according to the recently released 2024 State of Cybersecurity survey report from ISACA, a global professional association advancing trust in technology. Read Now

  • New Report Series Highlights E-Commerce Threats, Fraud Against Retailers

    Trustwave, a cybersecurity and managed security services provider, recently released a series of reports detailing the threats facing the retail sector, marking the second year of its ongoing research into these critical security issues. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame. 3

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area. 3

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation. 3