Tips to Achieving Cybersecurity that DoD Contractors can Follow
In the realm of cybersecurity, the only constant changes are as new threats emerge and hackers take advantage of new possibilities.
Implementing antivirus protections and maintaining your network secured from malware used to be all it took to make your network secure. As firms invent new technology to better expand with requests and satisfy the demands of the virtual workforce, fraudsters now have far bigger attack surfaces to exploit.
Industry authorities have imposed additional processes, such as CMMC solution in the defense vendor chain and HITECH for healthcare professionals and their associates, to stop the flow of more sophisticated assaults.
Information security teams will face new difficulties in 2021; thus here are the measures we propose for preparing your company for next year’s risks and opportunities:
#1. Put a premium on scalability when it comes to compliance.
Meeting the ever-changing regulatory compliance standards necessitates a scalable, adaptive solution that provides total insight into your computer architecture. Without sacrificing efficiency, organizations need to be able to implement and manage data security and privacy safeguards. Because dealing with issues like DFARS, HIPPA, or CMMC compliance becomes considerably more difficult at scale. You’ll need a consistent and unified strategy. Wherever possible, this involves automating compliance surveillance, administration, and enforcement.
#2. Make your cybersecurity protections as strong as possible.
Cybersecurity has progressed far beyond the classic protections of antivirus software and firewalls. You need many layers of security for every terminal that makes up your IT infrastructure in an era of working remotely, portable and cloud computing, and the IoT. In today’s dispersed computing systems, a traditional perimeter no longer exists, necessitating the use of numerous defenses on each endpoint, such as automatic upgrades, antivirus checks, zero-trust entry, and multifactor identification.
#3. Invest in cybersecurity for remote workers.
Remote workers were already popular before Covid-19. However, many established enterprises were unprepared to send their staff home and safeguard their assets from afar, as 2020 demonstrated. Remote work comes with its own concerns, such as unsecured wireless networks and poorly secured employee-owned equipment. Going ahead, minimizing these hazards must be a significant concern. Administrators must have complete control over their users’ accounts, apps, and data.
#4. Foster a security-first mindset.
As far as many personnel is concerned, information security is a technological issue that only the IT department should be worried about. On the other hand, cyberthreats can attack anybody in the firm, usually through social engineering schemes such as phishing emails. As a result, everyone should be informed of the dangers and how they may be used to abuse their processes. With frequent security awareness education and hands-on exercises like malware simulations, every firm should build a security-first culture. Most significantly, training should not be only intellectual or solely focused on safeguarding the company.
Because everyone is a possible prey for hackers, both in their work and personal life, you must make it evident that you are also doing a favor for your workers.
#5. Consider edge security.
Despite the recent focus on cloud computing, there is now a strong emphasis on the relevance and advantages of returning data analysis to its source. Edge computing blends the cloud’s freedom and potential with the real-time information provided by internet-connected smart appliances and other technologies. On the other hand, Edge computing implies more endpoints and hence more endpoints for hackers to attack. Many IoT gadgets are under-protected and forgotten about, exposing your entire network to risk. You must make sure that all devices are tracked and secured by numerous levels of protection.
#6. Take a fresh look at regulatory compliance.
It’s all too tempting to dismiss compliance as an unavoidable evil marked by excessive red tape and complicated procedures and rules. To satisfy the objectives of the CMMC compliance requirement, achieving a higher security maturity level necessitates the adoption of hundreds of different controls. Rather than considering these factors as a hindrance, organizations can see them as chances for expansion. Meeting the stringent regulations imposed by today’s authorities minimizes risk to your most valuable assets, fosters a culture of trust among your clients and stakeholders, and opens up new business prospects.