By Filip Cotfas
The Covid-19 pandemic poses the largest cybersecurity threat of recent times. Dynamic and complex, the digital climate today calls for relentless vigilance against the ever-present threat of cyber-attacks & data breaches within all businesses & enterprises. Data undoubtedly is one of the valuable assets for any business; if data security is not taken seriously – it can cause serious financial losses along with long-term reputational damages.
With changing work practices because of the Covid-19 – the emergence of remote working and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), paired with adoption of cloud computing tactics, there has been a steady surge in the data security lapses. Weak points for data exposure, accidental sharing of data, ease of moving data, and access of devices anytime, anywhere without software security controls, has built a perfect storm of worry on insider threats for businesses. A stringent data security strategy is clearly a must, it will protect the company data from any kind of data loss or theft.
A robust cyber defense system for businesses, irrespective of its size, can avoid, detect, or prevent data loss, enabling smarter data protection & strengthening the company’s security posture in the cybersecurity ecosystem. Businesses need to review their existing security posture and understand how equipped they are to handle bolder online threats.
Active or Reactive: It’s time to assess the Cybersecurity posture. An effective cyber-security program, that simplifies the protection of sensitive data, cements a brand’s position, as a trusted partner in the business world.
An Active security approach works upon – ‘when they come, we will respond’ ideology. It monitors the information and assets of the organization, resolving any threats as it happens. The active tactic focuses on tracking the hackers and bulking up the company’s defense against common attacks. However, today’s digital-security is overwhelmingly active in nature. The drawback to this approach is that the security acts on the threat only when it penetrates the system or the network, which sometimes might act too late. As digital threats become smarter and more complex, organizations need to stay ahead of the game to detect and avoid potential breaches. And this is where proactive security measures come in.
Proactive security approach works upon – ‘before they come we will be ready’ ideology. Staying one step ahead, proactive defense posture builds upon the active security with intelligence-led data security. Monitoring the network in a real-time, proactive approach, creates a detailed picture of the company’s security landscape. This helps identify the potential vulnerabilities that can be exploited by any kind of attack. Tactics such as ethical hacking, endpoint monitoring, and staff training, anticipate adverse events, protecting the data at rest, in-motion, and in-use. Right security solutions such as Data Loss Prevention (DLP), can help play a notch higher and track endpoints, networks, and cloud files, mediating the safety points. Proactive security measures ensure protection appropriate to the value of the information and the risk appetite of the company.
While both the safety measures have their uses, it is crucial for businesses to employ a combination of active and proactive cybersecurity measures to protect the business, customers, and the sensitive data from the growing cybersecurity threats.
(The author is Channel Manager, CoSoSys)
