How to Find the 4 Biggest Gaps in Your Cybersecurity Processes

Your organization’s cybersecurity policy is your best line of defense against cyberattacks, but gaps in your infrastructure may be putting you at risk.

Cyberattacks are on the rise, but many organizations’ cybersecurity policies aren’t keeping up. Around half of all respondents to the ISACA’s 2018 State of Cybersecurity survey said they experienced an increase in cyberattacks last year, and a startling 80% believe their organization is “likely” or “very likely” to experience an attack in the coming year. Additionally, Minerva Labs’ 2018 State of Endpoint Security survey shows that 75% of respondents believe that the rate of malware infections stayed the same or got worse in the past year.

Unfortunately, the Minerva survey also revealed that the same fraction of respondents — three-quarters — don’t believe their existing anti-malware solution is capable of preventing any more than 70% of infections. And while the 2018 Harvey Nash/KPMG CIO survey found that 49% of tech leaders list cybersecurity among the top areas their boards want to address, only a fifth feel well-prepared for a cyberattack.

Many of the security problems that organizations currently face are the result of gaps in their cybersecurity protocols. Here are four gaps that your company may not have recognized — and what you can do to address them.

1. Employees

Employees are a company’s greatest asset, but when it comes to cybersecurity, they’re likely its biggest risk factor, as well. In 2014, IBM reported that “over 95% of all [security] incidents investigated recognize ‘human error’ as a contributing factor” — a shockingly large proportion that becomes slightly less surprising in light of a recent survey revealing that bad security habits trickle down from the C-suite.

While many of these cybersecurity incidents may have inconvenient but quick fixes, the release of over 146 million Americans’ sensitive data in last year’s Equifax breach demonstrated just how devastating the effects of a single employee’s failure to follow security protocols can be.

Of course, many employees are simply unaware of how their actions may expose your company to cyberattacks. However, in the BYOD era, it has never been more vital to ensure that everyone in your workplace is up to speed on cybersecurity best practices. Regular cybersecurity training and evaluations are effective methods of making sure your employees are taking security seriously.

2. “One Size Fits All” Security

The widespread use of broad, generic policies is one of the primary issues in enterprise cybersecurity. Because such “one size fits all” approaches are not tailored to a specific organization’s needs, they tend to miss critical vulnerabilities. While having a broad framework in place is a good first step toward warding off cyberattacks, a holistic approach to security is always far more effective than one that focuses exclusively on complying with standardized regulations.

A static approach to security is an ineffectual approach to security, which is why organizations must view their cyberhealth as an ongoing and developing process. As your company grows and evolves, your cybersecurity plan must do the same.

3. Development Preceding Security

A tailored approach to cybersecurity is the best way to keep your systems safe, but fine-tuning your protocols can present a number of challenges. As regulations, technology, and business strategies quickly evolve, it’s easy for a holistic security plan to get left behind. That’s why many companies end up using a whack-a-mole approach to cybersecurity, scrambling to patch up vulnerabilities after the fact rather than incorporating security into the development process.

As a result, many companies fall prey to cyberattacks that take advantage of the security gaps that emerge when development precedes security. The only way to guard against this kind of attack is to make security a priority during development — but that requires buy-in from your development team, which in turn necessitates continuous training and the cultivation of a security-first culture throughout your company.

4. Mistaking More Security for Better Security

While the growing need for cybersecurity can make it tempting to quickly pile on more security technology, this often does more harm than good. Added complexity can actually make it more difficult to identify blind spots in your cybersecurity plan. To avoid these blind spots while minimizing their vulnerability, companies need to have detective, reactive, and responsive technologies in place.

These integrated layers of security allow your enterprise to stay flexible in the face of dynamic threats. Because too many security tools can reduce visibility but too few can leave you vulnerable, striking the balance that’s right for your organization is vital.

The Right Partner Can Help

We know that building a personalized security plan from the ground up can be a daunting endeavor. Partnering with a seasoned cybersecurity expert like Turn-key Technologies (TTI) can help ease your transition to a new system.

“One size fits all” simply doesn’t work for cybersecurity, and with nearly three decades of experience, multiple industry certifications, and numerous accolades, TTI has the know-how necessary to craft a security plan that’s tailored to your unique needs. Once your customized security solution is in place, our managed network services will ensure that you never fall behind the cybersecurity curve.

Contact us today to learn how TTI can identify — and close — cybersecurity gaps that could put your organization at risk.