An Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) is a highly sophisticated and long-lasting cyberattack strategy. In an APT, intruders infiltrate a network covertly, aiming to steal sensitive data over an extended period while avoiding detection. Key APT objectives: GhostNet APT One notable example of an APT is GhostNet. Discovered in March 2009, GhostNet is considered one of…

A Business Impact Analysis (BIA) is a critical process that predicts the potential consequences of a disruption to your business. It collects information necessary for creating proper recovery strategies. The extent and complexity of your BIA should align with your organization’s size and intricacy. Larger and more complex institutions may have a more detailed list…

Determining the scope of your CMMC assessment is a need for a successful certification process. It sets the groundwork by outlining what you need to evaluate. This approach reduces the assessment’s duration and minimizes the impact of security controls on your workforce. This is why it is essential to account for every asset, whether within…

CMMC 2.0 has three distinct security levels: Level 1 (Foundational), Level 2 (Advanced), and Level 3 (Expert). The specific CMMC maturity level that your company needs to attain, along with the associated compliance, hinges on the sensitivity of the data set to handle.  Level 1 (Foundational) Level 1 emphasizes fundamental cybersecurity practices. Companies can implement…

Continuous security monitoring is when you, as a company, monitor your IT systems and networks using automation constantly. Basically, you need to get reports on the security of your system in real-time. This helps you detect security threats, measure dips in control- efficiency, and isolate instances where your internal organizational rules are not abided by….

Continuous security validation allows a company to replicate and simulate full-scale attacks on its enterprise assets. They do this using software agents, virtual machines, and other tools. This process helps you to test and strengthen your security measures regularly. 4 key benefits to Continuous Security Validation Spotting policy mismatches It helps find mismatches in security…

The cybersecurity shared responsibility model plays a great role in mitigating the various aspects of the cloud environment.  For example, in a shared security model with GCP, Google will be responsible for ensuring that their firewalls remain impenetrable, and you, as a google cloud user, will be responsible for ensuring that you have implemented MFA,…

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of security guidelines established in 2004 by none other than the major credit card companies like MasterCard, Visa, Discover Financial Services, JCB International, and American Express. To get to know what PCI DSS involves in one go, take a look at the six…

In the cybersecurity and IT environment, perimeter security protects a company’s network boundaries from unwelcome guests like hackers and intruders. It involves keeping an eye out for potential threats, analyzing patterns, and responding effectively.  Why does perimeter security matter? Perimeter security is your first line of defense in the digital world. It’s vital because, instead…

Regulatory compliance standards ensure a company follows industry regulations, standards, and legal requirements for information security and data privacy.  There are so many regulations that if the US regulations is a country, it would be the world’s eighth largest economy.  Importance of regulatory standards in cybersecurity Cyberattacks can target any organization, whether you are a…

Risk appetite refers to the level and type of risk an organization will embrace to achieve its strategic goals. Companies will have varying risk appetites based on industry, culture, and objectives. Typically, a board of directors approves a risk appetite statement that captures the organization’s stance on risk and willingness to confront it in specific…

When considering compliance within your operations, you must carefully examine all your devices and individuals authorized to access protected data. Also, you must ensure that third parties you collaborate with follow compliance rules. Compliance scope must include everything from devices used to business environments to vendor compliance adherence. Most data protection regulations involve the concept…

Security culture means the shared beliefs, values, attitudes, and assumptions about security undertaken within your organization. It’s how security is inculcated in your company’s everyday activities and is demonstrated by how everyone, including employees and entities, behaves and takes security-related actions. In a perfect security culture: Benefits of security culture

A cybersecurity posture shows how much risk your organization might face and your ability to mitigate security incidents. These signs help you see how vulnerable you are to potential problems.  However, every organization will present a different security posture; they vary. These variations are commonly segmented as cybersecurity posture levels.  Let’s look at the 5…

Data Security Posture Management simply evaluates and monitors the data you store in the cloud.  The interesting thing about this tool is that it will keep an eye out for unauthorized attempts to get at the data or use it incorrectly. They work day and night by watching and improving security measures. In simple terms,…

Disaster recovery acts as a safety net for your computer systems. You can get back to work if something bad happens, like a big storm or computer hack. It employs policies, tools, and measures to mitigate the risks. It is more like a backup place where all the important computer data is copied. So, if…