Protecting Enterprise from cyber threats entails wholistic Information Risk management. 11 key elements are as below:
- Application controls – Implement application black/white lists to prevent execution of malicious applications
- Data leakage prevention – Establish controls for preventing critical data leakage to external environment. Integrate policies and tools to prevent exfiltration of: data at rest, data in motion and data in transit.
- Education and Awareness – Periodic user awareness around cyber risks along with security policies enforcement is the key. Training system administrators and Developers around security practices is equally important.
- Incident management – Establish Incident management response capability. Review the plan on periodic basis, conduct drills to test the plan and update plan based on learnings and integrate with Disaster recovery plan. Make sure to involve Law enforcement agencies in case of breach.
- Malware protection – Identify key assets, establish anti-malware defences. Integrate patch and change management processes.
- Mobile data security management – Apply baseline security policy to manage enterprise data on mobile devices. Establish data security layer on mobile devices.
- Security Monitoring – Establish security monitoring strategy and integrate with security policies. Configure tools to reduce false positives, enabling triggers to capture threat actors.
- Network security – Configure network to protect against both internal and external threats. Monitor and conduct test exercises on periodic basis.
- Removable media controls – Establish and enforce removable media policy and exception process aligned to business needs.
- Secure configuration – Secure configuration for both infrastructure (tools/devices/components) and applications hosting sensitive data must be done on periodic basis/post any change in the environment.
- User privileges management – Establish user privileges controls for accessing systems and applications. Also, enable controlled access for audit and activity logs.
By:- Sapan Talwar