5 Steps To Implement A Determined Cybersecurity Plan

Does Your Business Have A Defined Cybersecurity Plan of Action?

Industry leaders are tasked with enhancing company-wide cybersecurity culture. These five steps provide compelling strategies to deter even talented hackers.  

Although IT teams are tasked with protecting sensitive data from hackers, it’s not unusual for a company to not have a delineated cybersecurity plan. That may sound counterintuitive given these specialists are responsible for making certain personnel information, financial records, and digital assets are not stolen or held for ransom. When digital burglars manage to penetrate a business network, a wealth of data can be siphoned off. Beyond the hard monetary loss, the reputations of the organization and those in charge can suffer immensely. If your operation has yet to undergo the process of drafting a formal cybersecurity plan, these are five steps to implement a proactive strategy.

1: Conduct A Cybersecurity Review

It’s essential to begin the process of drafting a determined cybersecurity plan by first assessing what protections your organization has in place. These should include items such as virus protection, password security policies, threat detection, and response agility, among others. The purpose of this thorough review is not necessarily to boost confidence about what your outfit has achieved. The point is to compile a report that can be the subject of further analysis to find deficiencies.

2: Conduct a Network Efficiency Review

The ability to respond to imminent threats requires a network that functions at a high level. When aging components and faulty devices remain in the mix, that creates an unnecessary risk mitigation impediment. Take the time to monitor the effectiveness of your network and identify potential weak links. There may be simple solutions available for subpar devices, such as updating configurations or upgrading software. Once the system is running like clockwork, you can infuse top-tier cybersecurity software to gain real-time notifications about attempted incursions.

3: Bring Key Stakeholders Together

As an industry decision-maker, others look to you to lead the organization in a productive direction. It’s essential to keep in mind that leaders rely on their valued department heads and other stakeholders to help define the company’s vision and achieve goals. Developing a cybersecurity plan is akin to creating a marketing strategy or a separate policy that affects all of your team members.

Consider not only leaning on the experience of your IT technicians but others with unique skill sets as well. It may be in your best interest to bring in a third-party cybersecurity specialist who has their finger on the pulse of emerging threats and tactics used by hackers. With a core group of motivated experts in place, you can create proactive cybersecurity policies and procedures that are practical and effective for each department. The three pillars of any cybersecurity police are: detect, defend, and respond.

4: Rollout Your New Cybersecurity Plan

Each industry has different cybersecurity thresholds and regulatory guidelines that must be met. But internally, it’s crucial to get all of your employees to buy into the heightened need for vigilance. Today’s cybercriminals often target employees who are poorly trained and relatively unaware they would even be considered a primary infiltration target. That’s one of the reasons phishing schemes are so prevalent and effective. A determined cybersecurity plan must include ongoing employee training about risks, methods, and the emerging dangers digital bandits are using to scam everyday people. Heightened awareness remains a frontline defense against data breaches.

5: Consider the DevSecOps Strategy

For those who are not necessarily cybersecurity insiders, DevSecOps is part of a cybersecurity culture that utilizes collaboration and flexible engagement between workers that carry out profit-driving tasks and cybersecurity specialists. The goal is to reduce threat response times through improved communication and outside-the-box solutions. The strategy tends to deliver company-wide stakeholders with inspired ownership that brings people together in an us-against-hackers camaraderie. It’s worth investigating.

If your organization has a loosely conceived cybersecurity plan, considering DevSecOps and other strategies may be in your best interest. By building a determined cyber-defense plan and a secure culture, you could avoid substantial losses, government fines, and a tarnished reputation.