Steps for Performing a Cyber-Resilience Evaluation

Hey there, Bay Area friends! I’ve been swamped with countless questions about cyber resilience, especially in our ever-changing times of evolving cybersecurity. So I figured, why not sit down, have a little chit chat and discuss how to prepare and maintain a top-notch cyber-resilience plan without sounding like a cybersecurity jargon dictionary? Let’s dig in!

First and foremost, cyber resilience isn’t a question of “do we have it?” or “don’t we have it?”. Think of it as our ability to bounce back and keep things running smoothly after a disruptive cyber event.

When we do a cyber-resilience assessment, we should start by asking fundamental questions like which are the crucial risk factors. It could include employees, business systems, data storage facilities, communications, utilities, and even your HVAC system. Crazy, right?

Next, we need to stay current about the types of cyberattacks that might storm our way. Here in the Bay Area, we’re no strangers to innovation, and cyber goons are no exception. Phishing, DDoS, viruses, ransomware – you name it, they use it. As such, let’s put on our thinking caps and regularly update our knowledge on these threats.

But threats aren’t enough if we miss the likely access points. It could be seemingly simple like remote working arrangements or the network perimeter, or a bit more dramatic like rogue employees launching unauthorized access.

Now, how do we currently respond to attacks? The answer should include policies that address different scenarios, incident response plans, malware analysis, and the like. Importantly, we also need effective disaster recovery and business continuity plans. That’s our golden ticket to perseverance after a cyber calamity.

We should also look into how we address critical response activities to cyberattacks. These include identifying potential threats, defending our systems using innovative technologies, and detecting and responding to malicious codes. Let’s make sure we have robust systems to recover any damage and breast the tape as swiftly as possible.

And of course, let’s also ensure we follow essential practices like patch management, strong identity and access management, and backups. Not to mention, we should also inculcate the principle of least privilege access and maintain hardware, network, and facility security.

Hey, let’s not forget – we should also have a routine check for cyber threats and vulnerabilities. Regular testing of our cybersecurity plans, procedures, and systems is paramount to our defenses. Our cybersecurity teams need to keep themselves up-to-date and trained to battle any cyber incidents. Regularly updating firewalls and intrusion detection systems can keep us one step ahead of cyber villains.

But it’s not just our cybersecurity heroes; all employees and even top bosses must be familiar with cybersecurity procedures. We should be ready to answer the question, “What would I do if we face a cyberattack?” Frequent security awareness trainings and reminders are crucial here.

Finally, let’s chat about the aftermath of a cyber attack. It’s essential to reflect on our actions – what worked, what didn’t – and take steps to resolve any issues that popped up. Trust me, a timely check can save us from a lot of unexpected trouble.

So there we have it, an overview of conducting a cyber-resilience assessment. Remember, friends, knowledge is power and in this case, resilience. Update, adapt, protect, and repeat!”

by Morgan Phisher | HEAL Security