Three elements of a solid cyber security strategy

When in charge of defending an organization from cyber-attacks, viruses, malware, and other cyber threats buzzing around in the web, one will need to keep in mind some key principles of cyber security strategy and incorporate it into their overall plan

The main elements behind any successful cyber security strategy are prevention, detection, and recovery.

The best and most talked about element in a well-rounded cyber security strategy is by far prevention.

Company defense almost always starts out with the employees themselves. Companies that invest in awareness and education for employees and recurring reminders via email are doing it right.

The value of this approach is twofold:

First, the employee will be more aware in navigating the web, doing their part in prevention.

Second, employees who are aware of what a breach might look like -slow network traffic, unusual email and password activity – will raise alarm bells and help the IT team initiate their response.

Prevention may also involve Two Factor Authentication, where a hostile actor is prevented from using stolen credentials to breach the company network via a second line of defense, usually a personal question or SMS.

In terms of recovery, companies must do their best to save and log all their information every step of the way. Every email sent or received, every link clicked and so forth.

To avoid loss of essential data in the event of a successful ransomware breach, most of the stolen data would be recoverable to avoid loss of essential data, and prevent the attacker from holding all the cards.

Regular risk assessments are vital for your organization to know its own weaknesses, and devise response plans based on their findings.

Many hackers exploit backdoors left behind by other more minor breaches to then infiltrate a company later on. Regular audits and reviews ensure that any breaches are detected and dealt with early on.

Any cyber security strategy that hopes to stand must have a macro view of the theatre of war. If investment in the right areas, companies of all sizes can improve their defenses against hackers and cyber criminals.