With cybersecurity growing along with the advancement technology, more terms are used to describe a company’s network security. Many companies use third-party security to protect their information system, and in the cybersecurity industry, there are multiple types that evaluate or manages your cybersecurity. As a result, different terms often confused when explaining your company’s security landscape. Cyber posture is often confused with cyber risk management. While cyber posture and cyber risk management appear to have similar meanings, they refer to completely different aspects in cybersecurity.
What is Cyber Posture?
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), cyber posture is “the security status of an enterprise’s networks, information, and systems based on information security resources s (e.g., people, hardware, software, policies) and capabilities in place to manage the defense of the enterprise and to react as the situation changes” (NIST). Analyzing your cyber posture provides insight on how vulnerable your company is to cyberattacks and data breaches.
Companies that identify under the cyber posture industry observes your company’s resilience to cybersecurity threats. They look at how strong your current defenses are and if your data is safe in your information system. They also determine whether your company’s defense system is updated to the most recent operating system (OS).
Cyber posture products and services determine how strong your cybersecurity system is. It looks at whether you have measures in place to protect your company’s network. A good security posture includes measures and controls that minimize your cybersecurity risks and procedures to manage your security perimeter. It also includes strategies used to detect and minimize data breach damages.
What is Cyber Risk Management?
Cyber risk management encompasses all types of cybersecurity risks and threats to the company. Risk management are the actual methods and strategies the company does to preserve your organization’s information and intangible assets.
Cyber Posture and Cyber Risk Management Relationship
Cyber posture and cyber risk management has different questions for the same situation. On cyber breaches, cyber posture asks: “Does your organization have an effective strategy for when you have a cyber breach?” Here, it determines the existence and competence of the cybersecurity strategy. Meanwhile, cyber risk management asks: “What is your organization going to do when it experiences a cyber breach?” Cyber risk management defines the actual actions implemented in the cybersecurity strategy.
Despite having different meanings, cyber posture and cyber risk management are often used interchangeably. This is because both terms are used to define one another. To understand your cybersecurity posture, you must evaluate your cyber risk to identify your organization’s vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, to improve your cyber posture, you need to implement effective cyber risk management practices.
Why is Cyber Posture Important?
As mentioned earlier, cyber posture is the status of your cybersecurity strategy. It determines whether your cybersecurity strategy is effective and how you can improve it. The status of your security network is important because it stores your company’s important information and assets. With an ineffective cybersecurity posture, you have a higher risk of losing or damaging your company’s information and data. This is because your network will be more vulnerable to cyber-attacks and data breaches.
Therefore, maintain a strong cybersecurity posture by regularly monitoring and improving your security network. Constant improvement helps prevent cyber criminals from accessing your system. This is an ongoing process because while you improve your security systems, cyber hackers are also improving their skills to identify small holes and gaps in your security.
How Do You Evaluate Cyber Posture?
When you are evaluating your company’s cyber posture, you must consider all sides of your company’s security network. In other words, you need to evaluate your cyber network both internally and externally to gain a 360-degree view of your organization.
In this evaluation, identify all points of vulnerabilities to work and improve upon. Be proactive in your response to cybersecurity threats. Being proactive gives your company more control over your security system and response measures. This also minimizes the damages caused by cybersecurity threats.
How Can You Improve Your Cyber Posture?
Before improving your cybersecurity posture, identify your business goals so your security framework fits your organization’s needs. Aligning your security framework with your business goals optimizes your organization’s structure by focusing on what you need. However, remember that you should not sacrifice security for the sake of a more efficient business process. Your first priority should always be to protect your cyber threats because, in the long run, your company’s security will allow your company to run smoothly.
After finding your security gaps and vulnerabilities, create a project plan that will fix your security gaps. Implement more and effective cybersecurity risk management strategies. Use the evaluation of your cyber posture to choose cybersecurity strategies that will fill in the gaps and holes in your company’s network security.
Improve Your Cyber Posture with Cyber Risk Management
Cyber posture and cyber risk management are interrelated. Implement these cyber risk management strategies to help improve your cyber posture:
- Increase employee awareness: Oftentimes, the weakest link in a company’s security is their employee. Therefore, teach your employees the importance cybersecurity. Teach them the best ways to avoid cyber threats such as phishing emails. Teaching employees will also lead to a stronger cybersecurity culture in your company.
- Hold regular security briefings: Cybersecurity is not a one-time event. You must constantly observe and improve your cyber security practices to continually protect your organization.
- Create a cybersecurity committee: A dedicated team to cybersecurity will give more structure to the company’s cybersecurity network. With a committee, you will have a specialized team that can provide comprehensive reports and helpful suggestions on where to improve your cybersecurity.
- Prepare a contingency plan: Regardless of how many precautions and preventive controls your company has, threats will eventually find a way into your system. Therefore, have a cyber-attack response plan prepared, so your company will be able to react appropriately when your company experiences a cyber-attack or data breach.
These are just a few methods you can use to improve your cyber posture. With a cyber posture evaluation, you can identify more specific strategies for your company to act upon.
Cybersecurity Tools
Cyber posture evaluation can be completed with a cybersecurity assessment or product. Most, if not all, cyber posture evaluations will compile a report and action plan that you can use to improve your cyber posture. All that you need to do is implement the management strategies to have a safe and secure information network.
If you found this blog useful, please share with others:
