With digital transformation accelerating across the globe, third-party assurance is crucial in providing confidence around the security of complex digital ecosystems. Organisations must protect vital assets from attack and damaging compromise while responding effectively should an incident occur.
In this interconnected world, people, processes, and technology play a central role in the effectiveness of organisational infrastructures, cloud stacks and mobile accessibility. In response, best practice cybersecurity is no longer a choice; it’s a necessity for businesses operating in all locations and sectors.
Yet, every organisation is different. There’s no one-size-fits-all. To reach the cybersecurity level and posture you require, it’s crucial that you build an understanding of your unique threat landscape so you can address the biggest risks to your business and identify the most effective assurance frameworks.
Thankfully, you don’t have to do this on your own.
A rapidly changing world
Your threat landscape is never static. New risks continually appear, and the situation is getting worse. When there’s so much to consider, it’s easy to become locked in an endless cycle of addressing issues in the moment, which leaves little time to dedicate to continual improvement that drives the maturity of your cybersecurity capability.
With the constand emergence of new threats, organisations continue to widen their exposure as technology evolves. Cloud-use and collaborative platforms are now commonplace for even the smallest businesses, and data storage is increasing across all departments. Day-to-day operations are now wholly or partly reliant on IT systems, cloud platforms, and connected technologies.
Meanwhile, cyber-attacks are on the rise. They’re less targeted and more indiscriminate too. Reported ransomware attacks, for example, have grown 150% during 2021 (Digit) – there’s no end in sight and this upward trend is expected to continue.
It’s no longer possible to simply rely on cybersecurity technologies to stay protected. Organisations need confidence and assurance that they are cyber secure.
Prioritising your cyber threats
Simply waiting to react when an attack happens is dangerous. It’s far better to create the best defence possible, prioritising your most significant assets.
Take the “not if but when” approach to cyber-attacks. You should ensure your organisation not only spends time detecting, but preparing for an incident, rehearsing your response and knowing what to do to recover information and systems.
You must determine your own strategy before underpinning it with independent assurance that provides you and your stakeholders with confidence that defensive measures are aligned with industry best practices.
From there, you can determine how you’d respond in the event of an attack and form a robust plan.
Your cyber risk management approach will be unique; it must also tackle the threats you know about and those you don’t.
Having specialist support to help you achieve this is incredibly valuable. Drawing on in-depth knowledge and wide experience makes a difference to your cybersecurity future.
Reinforce your approach with accredited assurance services
Keeping your information and data secure is fundamental to the existence of your organisation. You must therefore develop an effective assurance process – with support from fully accredited partners - to keep it safe.
Frameworks can be key in helping organisations assess their risk landscape. But you must use them for the right reasons and not simply go through the motions. They must reinforce your approach to cybersecurity and the maturity you wish to achieve.
Whether you’re a small or medium-sized business looking for additional levels of assurance, or a large enterprise, Nettitude and LRQA provide a range of accredited advisory, audit, certification, and training services against the world’s leading cybersecurity standards.
Why continual assessment is vital
Whilst compliance is essential, it only captures a point in time. Given that cyber threats are constantly changing, it’s crucial you continually assess your own threat landscape.
Today, you might be compliant. Tomorrow, a new threat might emerge.
Internally, your people, processes, and technology should be an area of focus. Data shows that people are your weakest link and the biggest cybersecurity risk to your business.
Organisations and people are changing how they engage with technology. As your organisation incorporates new team members, each one poses a new risk, so it’s crucial that you promote and embed a cyber-aware culture.
Externally, your wider supply chain could be represent an area of vulnerability where any weaknesses will, in turn, threaten your own operations and cybersecurity.
The cyber threat landscape never remains static, and neither should your cybersecurity assurance programme. A dynamic approach that focuses on continual improvement ensures that your strategy shifts and adapts to address the risks that matter most to your organisation.
More about Nettitude & LRQA
Nettitude provides a wide range of threat-led cybersecurity services for organisations around the globe. From penetration testing to incident response and managed security services, we work closely with you to drive effective protection, detection, response, and recovery from cyber threats.
Our accreditations and certifications make us globally trusted world leaders in cybersecurity, with a team that is made up of specialists holding the highest technical qualifications available. We are one of only a handful of companies worldwide that hold all CREST accreditations and the first in the world for SOC services. Nettitude is also a PCI ASV, PCI QSA, P2PE QSA, PA QSA and ISO 27001 lead auditor, and an approved provider of STAR testing services.
Nettitude is an LRQA company. LRQA brings together unrivalled expertise in certification, customised assurance, cybersecurity, inspection and training, and has become a leading global assurance provider. By combining strong values, decades of experience in risk management and mitigation, and a keen focus on the future, LRQA support clients as they build safer, more secure, more sustainable businesses. With unrelenting focus on our clients, we are shaping a better future together.
To learn more, please visit https://www.nettitude.com/