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Technology Blog

How to improve cyber resilience in your business

Umut Bulurlar
Published Date4 Months Ago
Resilience is not the ability to avoid adversity, but the endurance required to face it and become stronger. Cyber resilience acknowledges the sobering reality and likelihood of cyber-related threats and attacks. With this reality in mind, cyber resilience encompasses various strategies, such as cybersecurity and incident response plans, to protect an organisation's digital assets and respond to potential attacks (like a data breach). Effective cyber resilience is fostered through intentionality, consistency, and innovation. All companies and organisations must strengthen their cyber resilience, as not doing so could prove negligent.
 

What is cyber resilience?

Cyber resilience is a multi-faceted approach to strengthening an organisation’s digital terrain. Firstly, it encompasses the cybersecurity of a business or organisation to prevent cyber threats, but it also relates to the capacity of an enterprise to recover from a cyber-attack, when they occur. 
 
Cyber resilience is measured by an enterprise's stamina in recovering from a cyber incident (maintaining business continuity, reputation, and preparing for future threats) and its ability to further strengthen its cybersecurity measures. Interestingly, cyber resilience is not an innate trait of a company's default position. A strong cyber resilience is forged and that is why companies must invest in a rigorous strategy.
 

What is the difference between cyber resilience and cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity 

Cybersecurity refers to a preventive strategy employed to protect company systems, networks, and IT infrastructure from digital threats and cyber risks such as malware or hacktivism. It encompasses different technologies to prevent cyber-attacks and protect digital assets. 
 

Cyber resilience 

Cyber resilience differs from cyber security in that it refers to an organisation's stamina to utilise cyber security to prevent harm and recover from cyber-related attacks. Cybersecurity is a component of cyber resilience, encompassing a company's security and response and recovery in the aftermath of an incident. For example, a cyber resilience strategy would also consider incident response, healthy continuity, and safeguarding company assets and reputation.
 
Cybersecurity might ask, how can we prevent a potential issue? Whereas cyber resilience may ask, how can we move forward after one? What have we learnt from this? 
 

Building a cyber resilient business 

Building a cyber-resilient business involves many variables. It is not a magic update that occurs at once. Like cultivating resilience in any other area of life, it requires patience, intentionality, innovative strategy, and multiple practical steps. Business operations must allocate time and resources to building an organisation's cyber resilience. 
 
Here are some ways that contribute to an organisation's cyber resilience: 
 
  • Conduct a comprehensive review: Before implementing new strategies, it is best to conduct a review or audit of a company's current digital landscape. This is a good time to assess current strategies and their effectiveness and identify any gaps in current procedures and policies. 
  • Invest in preventative measures to protect current systems: Cybersecurity is a major component of cyber resiliency. There are many measures an organisation can take to reduce cyber risk. Strong cybersecurity is needed. Establish powerful methods and software, where necessary, to protect company data, devices, networks, and information systems and have a sound understanding of current critical infrastructure. 
  • Proactive detection of threats: Cyber threats will occur, but it is best to prevent them — utilise cybersecurity strategies such as firewalls, access control, encryption antivirus and antimalware software. Organisations must be at the forefront of cybersecurity and invest in continuous security monitoring to protect systems and detect threats as soon as they arise.
  • Establish incident response systems: As the age-old saying goes, it's not a matter of "if" but "when." Cyber risks are common, and cyber events can often have adverse effects. Create a cyber resilience plan that details the procedures used when a security incident occurs. Include roles and responsibilities, response time frames, escalation plans, and methods of communication. A solid response to an incident is needed to maintain critical assets, business continuity, reputation, and brand trust.

What are some specific strategies my business can employ to bolster cyber resilience? 

There are many methods and software you can use to assist in building cyber resilience. 
Here are some strategies you can implement: 
 
  • Foster awareness and invest in training: Cyber resilience is cultivated when teams and staff are educated on the topic and prepared for adverse scenarios. Beyond on-the-job training, organise cybersecurity training programs or random testing. Empowering and educating all staff (not just IT teams) means that they are not ignorant of the realities of cyber-attacks. 
  • Continuous monitoring systems: Monitor digital activity in real time to highlight any unusual activity, such as random access to files. It is worth determining what regular activity looks like so that you can have a benchmark to compare abnormal activity against.
  • Data analytics: Harness data analytics to assess potential risks and apply them to your digital terrain. Information collection and analysis can help form your strategies.
  • Centralised asset management: Using a centralised asset management system secures all digital assets in one unified location.
  • Response training: a valuable type of training is to simulate adverse scenarios and have the relevant team run through response exercises. Implementing and practising incident response processes can prove to be helpful in the preparation.
  • Use of encryption: encryption is a method where information is protected by making it unreadable. Many companies use encryption for the data they have stored.
  • Red teaming: Red teaming is the term for using third-party hackers to simulate real-life scenarios in order to identify possible weaknesses in an organisation's digital landscape. 
  • Transparency, accountability, and reporting: Like continuous monitoring, a best practice is keeping stock of the changing threats and current landscape. This might look like quarterly reports or proactively reporting to a board. 
Whatever practices you employ, it is best to have a robust strategy that uses advanced software, personnel education, and robust reporting systems. You can't control the hostile digital environment, but you can take charge of how you prepare. Stay ready.
 

Keep going and become stronger 

Hays is invested in seeing businesses thrive and cyber resilience is an ongoing investment. Cyber resilience work involves consistent readiness and preparation. Taking the time to assess a company's current state and improve it is the best form of risk management.
 
If you’re interested in sourcing cybersecurity talent, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our recruitment experts today. 
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