Cyber security events hit the headlines on almost a daily basis. Companies know that in an increasingly cloud-centered technology market, they have to keep security prioritized in every investment. But the conversation is beginning to shift to cyber resilience.
Defining Cyber Resilience
The core of cyber resilience is an understanding that cyber security isn’t an either-or proposition. It’s not a question of whether your data and systems are safe, but it’s the pursuit of a more protected environment that prevents, detects, contains, and addresses cyber threats in a way that allows your company to thrive.
According to research from IDC in 2019, before all the chaos of 2020 pushed companies further and faster into digital transformation, more than a third of respondents had purchased at least 30 distinct cloud services. And the number of providers averaged over 16.
That level of complexity introduces a certain level of chaos. For some companies, the answer to handling this chaos is simply to rely on the cloud providers to handle cyber security, but that isn’t the best approach. While major providers have robust security policies, the data and systems still belong to your company. In other words, the risk is yours.
Cyber resilience claims the responsibility for security while choosing a path that prioritizes risk, rather than taking an all-or-nothing approach.
Two Steps to Better Secure Your Systems
- Improve visibility by having a clear view of all hardware and software and the network traffic that moves between them. For many companies, this may mean the implementation of virtualized networking with software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN). This type of solution allows you to segment and prioritize traffic so that if there is a threat, you can contain and address it from a centralized dashboard.
- Implement a zero trust security policy. This comprehensive policy uses multi-factor authentication, encryption, and the principle of least privilege to ensure that access is only granted to those that need it for each solution.
These two steps fit well with the remote workplace that initially seemed to be a temporary solution but is increasingly a permanent reality for many businesses. A highly-visible, virtualized network allows IT teams to monitor geographically dispersed endpoints and assist end users without being physically present to troubleshoot, while zero trust ensures that employees can safely access company assets wherever they have an internet connection. This provides a consistent work experience and supports cyber resilience measures.If cyber resilience sounds like an approach your company needs to take towards cyber security, contact us at Hudson Technology Partners. We can help you leverage the right solutions to support the protection of your data and systems in an increasingly complex cloud environment.