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Introduction
In today’s landscape, every business is inherently based on technology, increasing its susceptibility to significant and frequent threats that can hinder operations, success, and sustainability. At times, it can cause damage that is hard to bounce back from. Securing your organization, therefore, requires a deliberate, proactive, and holistic approach — you must keep constant tabs on vulnerabilities stemming from people, processes, and technologies to ensure effective risk management.
The first crucial step is building a strategy that not only safeguards your present position but also aligns with your growth aspirations. For two decades, Group-IB has been at the forefront of combating cybersecurity challenges for organizations worldwide. Here are twenty powerful cybersecurity upgrades, shared by our experts, that will improve your business outcomes and increase your cyber resilience.
#1 Shift cybersecurity responsibility from users to the company
As fraud becomes more common, fighting financial crime should be a shared concern. Companies sometimes hold customers responsible for allowing themselves to fall victim to fraud or making it easier for their accounts to be hacked, or even for making transactions under pressure from fraudsters conducting social engineering attacks. Companies also call out practices such as weak passwords and the lack of multi-factor authentication as reasons behind increased risks. Incident analysts often point the finger at users and thereby perpetuate the problem. Continuing to play the blame game could stop you from finding solutions. For as long as society holds users accountable, the primary focus will remain on awareness, or a lack thereof.
With twenty years of experience in cybersecurity, Group-IB experts have often heard the call for raising awareness. Repeating the same strategy won’t bring different results, however. What we need is a cultural shift where companies handling user data take responsibility and adopt the most recent technologies to ensure enhanced protection. Instead of imposing regulatory burdens, we should support these companies. Modern technologies such as User Behavior Analytics (UBA) and passwordless authentication can address root causes, especially in cases of fraud and account takeover.
Group-IB Fraud Protection incorporates this approach by providing the capabilities required to continually assess various risk indicators through signature-based, behavioral, and cross-channel analytics. This is a cutting-edge capability that’s missing from traditional anti-fraud systems.
#2 Make relevant security adjustments when moving beyond traditional parameters
To protect your organization best, it’s crucial to go beyond traditional security measures that focus solely on the network perimeter instead of the broader perimeter — cloud services, home devices, servers, and more.
Whether you’re using your own or third-party cloud services, they all have their unique threat landscapes that require tailored security approaches. As reliance on cloud technology grows, it is increasingly important to introduce specialized solutions that strengthen cloud environments. While basic security features like antivirus software and built-in firewalls are often provided by service providers for free, they are not enough against serious threats.
With the rise of remote work, home devices have become essential parts of company networks. No matter how secure your data and applications are within the network or cloud, the entire infrastructure becomes vulnerable if authorized users access them from insecure devices. The Zero-Trust approach is gaining popularity, but it takes time to become mainstream.
By treating home devices as being part of the core infrastructure, companies can significantly improve security. It is essential to assess configurations, vulnerabilities, and the potential for compromise in these devices all the while respecting user privacy.
Another crucial aspect is data protection. In the interconnected business world, companies interact with consumers and partners and must protect both their data as well as the data entrusted to them. Establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for innovation in cybersecurity, supported and reinforced by government initiatives, is fundamental to building a secure cyber environment.
#3 Adapt cybersecurity to your transformation plans
Businesses rely on automation to achieve digital transformation, which in turn requires robust security measures to ensure a seamless and risk-averse transition. As companies expand their online presence through websites, apps, servers, and the cloud, cybersecurity is no longer just about protection — it’s integral to building a reliable and trustworthy user experience. Users must feel confident that their data is secure, that their privacy is a priority, and that their interactions with a brand online will be smooth and trustworthy.
More and more various channels and data are available, which makes real-time security essential, and achieving this also requires automation. This highlights the need to introduce automated analysis and responses while remaining adaptable through human involvement when necessary. Modern cybersecurity technologies, especially those focused on preventing threats, fraud, and scams, are built to support this approach and can help avoid latency in risk management.
Group-IB Managed XDR is a managed solution that gives organizations access to automated threat-hunting and remediation capabilities through a single interface. Without MXDR, it can take organizations as long as 9 months (277 days) on average to identify and contain a data breach.
#4 Threats are evolving and so is the digital landscape. The only constant to help you stay secure is innovation
Past investments often block the scope for innovation. Being tied to outdated security measures makes it difficult for businesses to adapt quickly, especially considering today’s constant advancements. A proactive approach is crucial. Focus on gathering intelligence about evolving threats rather than relying on existing security solutions.
Understanding how threats change and predicting future trends is essential for developing effective security frameworks. Companies should seek fresh perspectives from vendors and look for innovative solutions to replace outdated security protocols. Establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for innovation in cybersecurity, supported and reinforced by government initiatives, is crucial to encourage this transition.
Businesses should consider crafting security controls that are not just based on trends or buzzwords but tailored to address their organization’s specific needs. At Group-IB, we help brands build cybersecurity that is cut out for them. Our powerful ecosystem of in-house technology solutions, research, and expertise enables us to provide our clients with cybersecurity support that is not only comprehensive but also continually upgraded to meet their unique goals.
#5 Where human efficiency drops, let AI take over
Embracing progress is crucial, especially as we enter the era of AI. Embracing AI opens up many opportunities. The main advantage lies in AI’s ability to ease the burden of everyday tasks, letting experts concentrate on more critical work. AI is not here to replace human expertise but to complement it.
A decade ago, Machine Learning (ML) was expected to solve many cybersecurity challenges, but it could also be used by adversaries to create challenges in the first place. Similarly, AI offers opportunities for both defenders and attackers, which emphasizes the ongoing need for human experts to innovate and find newer protective measures. Soon, AI will work alongside human expertise and become a collaborative partner in cybersecurity.
AI will take over responsibilities such as enhancing detection, monitoring events, carrying out basic response actions, and generating reports. It will create new roles in cybersecurity, as happened with ML. At Group-IB, we’re integrating AI-powered automation into our operations, which automates routine tasks and allows our experts to focus on more complex challenges.
#6 Reassess your approach to adopting new technology
The three fundamental ideas towards adopting linear technology to ensure constant security improvements are:
- Embed security within operating systems, hardware, applications, and services. The goal is for security measures to operate efficiently without being visible or intrusive. Security should be seamless, not fragmented when it is integrated within the existing ecosystem.
- If new security controls complicate user experience, look for alternatives. For instance, consider shifting from one-time passwords to passwordless authentication and behavioral/adaptive authentication. There are ways to ensure security while maintaining convenience and transparency. This approach is key to driving your business forward.
- Attempting to put together a 100% in-house security team can be challenging due to resource constraints. We recommend working with external partners who can complement your capabilities. The right partners help fill gaps in expertise and facilitate the transfer of knowledge to your internal team.
#7 Embed cyber hygiene security by design
Let go of the concept of cyber hygiene. It’s time to shift the mindset to a place where everything is inherently secure by design. Security should be a foundational concern rather than a norm that people may or may not practice.
Moreover, employees should be able to prioritize their primary tasks and goals without being constantly weighed down by security concerns. They shouldn’t have to constantly worry about passwords or cyber threats like scams and malware. These threats should be eliminated through design and managed solely by a service provider’s dedicated experts.
#8 Use advanced tools and expertise to identify red flags
As cybercriminals continue to innovate and use unusual techniques to invade infrastructure or perform illegal activities that could pass for legitimate ones, bypassing traditional security controls has become almost effortless. This makes it more challenging to identify and counter cyber threats using only known patterns (signatures), which emphasizes the growing importance of human behavioral analysis when detecting threats.
Two actions are needed: (1) gathering up-to-date and contextual threat intelligence and (2) equipping cybersecurity experts with advanced tools to ensure quick threat hunting. These tools should be capable of analyzing behavior through attack patterns and TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures). They must be able to a) detect anomalies, b) leverage updated threat feeds to identify signs of malicious behavior even in new threats, and c) provide guidelines for assessing and eliminating potential threats. Learn how Group-IB’s largest adversary-centric feed of Threat Intelligence and Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR), leveraged by our threat hunters, automate comprehensive threat detection within your infrastructure and help take prompt response action.
#9 Have a clear overview of your infrastructure
Comprehensive and proactive monitoring of your digital footprint (also known as the attack surface) helps detect anomalies early, which in turn prevents serious damage and allows for a quicker recovery. Selecting an effective tool that will uncover hidden threats in your infrastructure is crucial for identifying and addressing security issues.
The idea is simple: if you can’t see it, you can’t stop it. A comprehensive monitoring tool helps develop a structured approach to classify and prioritize risks, leaving no room for latency in addressing potential threats and vulnerabilities in your digital landscape.
With Group-IB Attack Surface Management (ASM), businesses can automate vulnerability assessments and receive real-time control suggestions. ASM works in tandem with our industry-leading Threat Intelligence (TI) to provide critical adversary insights, make investigations faster and more in-depth, and support strategic cybersecurity decision-making, including response and internal/external communications.
#10 Establish KPIs to measure the impact of your security decisions
Attribution is a crucial aspect of our cybersecurity efforts. It is also becoming an increasingly essential means of validating security decisions. Cybersecurity KPIs should be established to unlock new opportunities and to both drive and translate business growth with more clarity. Consider metrics such as the number of security barriers removed to facilitate business expansion while simultaneously enhancing system security — for instance, eliminating passwords and OTPs, reducing mandatory fields in applications, adopting adaptive access based on specific needs rather than just roles, and other similar strategies.
Another crucial cybersecurity KPI is the proactive nature of your security measures. Count how many unidentified threats are stopped before they can cause any harm. Additionally, set a KPI focused on innovation within your security protocols.
Last but not least, compliance is an essential KPI to ensure that the business is protected against significant errors due to violations. However, it’s important to balance compliance with other important KPIs mentioned earlier. Maintaining compliance shouldn’t restrict a company’s strides toward innovation, improved detection capabilities, and business growth.
But wait, there’s more
The abovementioned factors emphasize the importance of evolving your cybersecurity strategy to meet growth objectives, the evolving landscape, and technological advancements. While there are several security variables to take into account, ensuring they aren’t overlooked can help you build a holistic and cohesive approach to cybersecurity.
Our experts have compiled an overarching checklist, providing C-level and security executives with essential considerations to risk-proof their businesses for the upcoming year. These factors can help your business to adapt to face unprecedented challenges and keep your employees well-informed to stand guard.
Additionally, if you need assistance in building a robust cybersecurity tailored for your business, reach out to our experts here.
Stay tuned for the second edition of the blog, where we share further insights on pivoting your cybersecurity strategy to stay undisrupted.
