Preparing Your Startup’s Data Security for Advanced Cyber Attacks

You are well aware of the value of your data, both in terms of the present and the future. Just like gold or oil, you have to make your data secure from the ever-increasing threat of advanced sophisticated cyber attacks. Internet is a highly dynamic space, and it has meaningfully transformed the way people are accessing services of choice. But the same medium is open for exploitation by criminal minds in the form of catastrophic cyber attacks. The challenge is not is securing the system in a static sense, but dynamism involved in the increasing sophistication of nefarious internet activities.

Cyberattack is an unfortunate and ugly aspect of the Internet of Things (IoT). Even the best in the league of cyber warriors will accept the fact that it is very challenging to secure organizations from cyber attacks in the fast-evolving digital ecosystem. It is a continuous battle involving not just preparing the system to avoid data breaches but to have a technical strategy to mitigate the risk and be legally ready to face the ire of customers and regulators in respective geographies. Unfortunately, the traditional legacy approach of handling cyberattacks is not of much use in the modern digital ecosystem.  

It is not about being fearful but be proactive and ready with the necessary information and tool to secure your system from the possibilities of targeted cyber attacks. A study of all mega cyberattacks of the recent past suggests that cyber attackers spend months researching the cyber weakness of prey before the ultimate theft. If you want to have a system with the least possible chance of a cyber attack, then, first of all, you need to have a process to gather cyber threat intelligence. Since the unidirectional approach of dealing with a cyber-attack is ineffective, your modern enterprise will require the triangular approach of preparing a system to avoid zero-day vulnerabilities, protecting endpoints of the system, and develop a quick response plan in case of a breach.

Cyber Threat Intelligence

Just like any other threat, the cyber threat also does not exist in a vacuum; it is contextual with all possible signs and indicators. So, if you are planning to build a secure system you need to gather intelligence related to cyber threats and plan data security accordingly. As per Gartner, threat intelligence is “evidence-based knowledge” of existing and emerging threats that could be used to mitigate the risk and build a quick response system.  

In simple words, threat intelligence is all about collecting and processing security-related actionable information to prepare a robust defense against cyber attacks. Your cybersecurity expert will examine your system preparedness and suggest suitable cyber threat intelligence (CTI) solutions involving artificial intelligence and machine learning to capture relevant data from all possible data interfaces. The effectiveness of your CTI process will help you be more proactive than reactive in dealing with cyber threats.

The first effective step in the direction to make data 100% secure is to understand the level and type of cyber threat. The human aspect involved in CIT can be of great help for the IT team to monitor and manage vulnerable areas effectively, without fail. Unlike tech-based automated data gathering and processing, like SASE, the CTI relies more on human aspects involved in quick decision making. It looks beyond the effectiveness of suitable tools and relies on the intuitive analysis of the human mind. But the quality of your CTI process will depend on the quality of your CTI professional. Ideally, the person in charge should be trained in Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) techniques and risks. You should invest in the right tools and professionals to have a robust data security system in place.

Endpoint Protection

Name any cybersecurity solution, and ultimately, it is all about protecting data at the endpoint. With changes in work dynamics involving a focus on remote working, endpoint protection becomes more paramount. Now it is more challenging to protect endpoints from malware and other sophisticated attacks when employees are working from remote locations. You simply cannot expect everyone to be a cybersecurity pro to detect and prevent any effort to breach the network. The endpoint is more like the frontline in the battle landscape.

So, you cannot ignore the endpoint as any negligence could cost you fortunes. Frankly, the endpoint security risk is very high, and there is no robust mechanism to make the system cyber attack-proof. A recent Data Risk research suggests that over 55% of enterprises have seen an increase in endpoint security risk, and over 34% of organizations experienced endpoint security breaches. Unfortunately, the same research suggests that over 67% of respondents feel vulnerable to the possibility of cyber attack in the next 12 months.       

If you want your enterprise to rise and shine with the trust of millions of customers, you have to safeguard data at any cost. Forget data theft, even unauthorized access will spoil your reputation. If you think your firewalls and VPN are enough to prevent a data breach, then it is time to think about endpoint security solutions, which operate n a client-server model. Here are some of the most secure endpoint protection technologies:

Firewalls: Though a firewall is not enough, it helps in filtering traffic flow between the internet and internal network instead of user devices. It is exactly what the endpoint protection solution focuses on. Though technically and functionally both are the same but endpoint protection operates on a different level.

Safe Web Gateway: The SWG helps in enforcing the cybersecurity policies of your company, thus secures users from external cyber threats. Technically, it is an interface between network access and the user’s device that monitors data flow as per the company’s policy.

Software-Defined Perimeter: If you have a large pool of remote workers then SDP is useful for network resources. It makes your IoT endpoints secure, which need a lightweight transmission.

Advance VPN: Monitoring traffic is very crucial for endpoint protection. You should have advanced next-gen VPNs to have total control over traffic visibility and threat detection tools.

Cyber Breach Response Plan

 A simple data breach research will tell you that even the most advanced security systems have a face data breach. You must have all possible cybersecurity tools in place as per regulatory requirements. What if your system fails to protect you from sophisticated cyber-attacks? What should be your course of action after a data breach? Whatever is your defined procedure, but you should not panic and let cyber experts do their job to protect and recover data in the quickest possible time.

Your proactive cybersecurity approach could help you cut your breach response time with efficiency. Breach response plan varies from company to company, but the focus should always remain on making system threat-proof, data recovery, and reduce financial loss. The common cyber breach response practice involves:

• Identifying the source of cyber attack  
• Delegate specific people specific tasks related to the data breach, data protection and safety, and data recovery.
• Involve trained professionals in assessing data breach impacts
• Preparing for the legal battle  
• Upgrade system security for future cyber attacks
• Transparent communication with affected and regulatory bodies  

Final Take 

In modern digital space, you have access to unlimited potential, and you can reap rich dividends if the trust of consumers is in your favor. You have to accept the reality of the ever-increasing sophistication of cyber-attacks and make sure your system is ready to face a high-intensity attack. The best possible approach to ensure maximum data protection is to think ahead of cyber attackers. This triangular approach of threat intelligence, endpoint protection, and proactive response can keep your data safe and help you remain free of cyber-attack worries and focus on taking the business forward.