Here's how you can effectively handle and reduce risks in your Information Security business.

Risk assessment cannot be done in a robotic fashion using an excel sheet. Because this could take a long time & outweigh the benefits of the exercise. Once you have the asset list, prioritize it & identify the top assets that need protection (sensitive date, compliance, business critical, etc). Then perform risk analysis on these assets and in the first iteration, quickly come up with a list of top severity and easily exploitable threats. Benchmark against where you are & what you need to do to be more secure. Assign action items to folks and track it to closure. Then do another iteration for the next level of threats & repeat until you have fairly covered all threats. Most importantly, put threats into context & mitigate them accordingly.

In my Big4 IT consulting days, I saw countless security breaches. One thing stood out: thorough risk assessments were the unsung heroes. Knowing your vulnerabilities is half the battle. Think of it as a map – without it, you're wandering in the dark. With it, you see the peaks (high risks) and valleys (low risks), allowing you to plan your journey to security strategically. Remember, it's not just about eliminating risks, but intelligently managing them within your budget and risk appetite. And just like a painter mixes colors to create masterpieces, a balanced approach in risk management blends proactive measures, insurance, and sometimes, accepting the inevitable.

Based on my experience, I recommend the following practices for effective information and risk management: The IT department should maintain comprehensive documentation detailing the assets and information utilized by different teams, including the sensitivity levels of this information. Implementing a risk register is essential to track all identified risks, capturing their levels, likelihood, and potential impacts. Regular audits should be conducted at monthly, quarterly, bi-annual, and annual intervals, both internally and by third-party auditors. Attaining ISO 27001:2022 on Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection certification enhances the company's reputation for information security and protection.

Conduct Regular Security Risk Assessments: Perform comprehensive security risk assessments at least once every two years to identify vulnerabilities and threats to your organization's information assets. These assessments should cover all aspects of your IT infrastructure, including data storage mechanisms, network configurations, and system vulnerabilities.

Conducting a risk assessment is the most effective approach to mitigating cyber risks within an organization. This effectiveness stems primarily from the active involvement of management from the outset. It is crucial for top leadership to comprehend that identified risks throughout this process present opportunities to enhance the organization's overall cyber posture and maturity.

To effectively handle and reduce risks in your information security business: Regular Risk Assessments: Continuously identify and evaluate threats. Strong Security Policies: Develop and enforce comprehensive policies. Employee Training: Educate staff on security best practices. Advanced Technology: Use the latest security tools. Access Control: Restrict access to sensitive data. Regular Updates: Keep systems and software up to date. Incident Response Plan: Have a plan to quickly address breaches. Backup and Recovery: Regularly back up data and ensure recovery plans. Third-Party Management: Monitor vendor and partner security. Continuous Improvement: Regularly review and improve security measures.

Based on my professional experience, it is equally important to make sure that these policies are effectively conveyed to all levels of the business and that they are well documented. For instance, ongoing training and awareness campaigns are required to make policies governing the proper use of technologies and data handling actionable. By doing this, it is made sure that everyone is aware of their responsibility for protecting the company's assets.

Establishing clear and comprehensive policies is foundational to risk reduction in an information security business. These policies should encompass acceptable system use, data handling procedures, and incident response plans. Such guidelines provide a framework that holds everyone accountable and ensures uniform information management practices. Regular policy review and updates are essential to stay abreast of evolving threats and business dynamics. By embedding these policies into the organizational culture, businesses can effectively mitigate risks and uphold robust security standards.

To fortify your information security, launch a two-pronged attack: a comprehensive risk assessment and clear, evolving policies. The assessment identifies critical assets (data, systems) and potential threats. Collaboration across departments ensures a holistic view for effective risk prioritization, allocating resources where they matter most. Complement this with clear policies on system use, data handling, and incident response. These guidelines create a framework for consistent information handling and hold everyone accountable. Regularly review and update these policies to adapt to the ever-changing threat landscape, fostering a culture of security awareness and compliance that safeguards your business.

When developing policies, be sure to keep track of new innovations whether they be in technology, social trends, or compliance/standards.

You can be crazy enough to hire professionals to do something about it. Or you can simply delegate it to some HR intern, they'll get money from the management, then they'll make few presentations a year. Maybe the material won't stick, but at least people will remember that they were bored to death. In most cases interns will copy paste someone's else's intellectual property but hey it's not as if anyone will know. Few phish tests a year will be enough to check ✅ that it's done. Ppp will always be the same but then again you can always blame the employees. After all, Joe said that everyone does that awareness thing this way, never mind that Joe's company just had ransomware attack. Pro would probably be cheaper and effective, but YOLO!

In an Information Security business, employees are the frontline defense against threats. Regular training on best practices, like identifying phishing attempts and secure password management, empowers them to safeguard business assets. Continuous and updated training reflects the evolving threat landscape, fostering a culture of security awareness. By investing in employee education, businesses strengthen their overall security posture and mitigate risks effectively. This proactive approach ensures employees are equipped to detect and respond to potential threats, ultimately enhancing the organization's resilience against cyber attacks.

Everything starts with People. Only well trained People can implement effective controls - be it Operational, process, administrative and technological controls.

Prioritizing employee training is a crucial step in mitigating security risks within an organization. Startups and SMEs should recognize that investing in employee education is not a cost but a strategic investment that pays off by significantly reducing security incidents and fostering a robust security culture. By making this a top priority, companies can ensure that their employees are equipped to act as vigilant protectors of their business's assets, ultimately contributing to the organization’s overall security and success.

Empowering employees as the first line of defense against security threats is paramount in an Information Security business. Regular training on best practices, like identifying phishing attempts and secure password management, equips them to safeguard business assets effectively. Continuous, updated training ensures employees remain vigilant and adaptable in addressing evolving threats. Cultivating a culture of security awareness fosters a proactive approach to risk mitigation, strengthening the overall security posture of the organization. Employee education is not just an investment in individual skill sets but a crucial component of the company's defense strategy against cyber threats.

I have experience managing both corporate and MSSP environments, so I can vouch for the value of a multi-layered security approach. Our defensive methods are anchored by firewalls and intrusion detection systems, and advanced encryption techniques are essential for safeguarding data integrity and confidentiality. Furthermore, a crucial component of our plan to prevent future exploitations is making sure that all software is regularly updated with the most recent security updates.

The technical controls implemented MUST be supported by robust processes and operated by competent people. Without these two factors, the technical controls will not be effective. It will provide a false sense of security and a wasted investment.

Agree totally. Continuous testing and refreshing of these technical controls to measure effectiveness and keeping them relevant are essential too.

Os controles técnicos faz parte de umas das camadas de cibersegurança mais antiga, pela minha experiencia os controles técnicos, era o único a fazer parte da cibersegurança, como exemplo: O firewall de borda. Hoje sabemos que cibersegurança são varias camadas e o controles técnico ainda é uma das mais importantes, talvez a mais importante. Firewall, IDS, IPS, endpoints, SIEMS, MFA, AD...entres outros serviços, são importantíssimo sua implementação.

Continuous monitoring is essential in Information Security. Leveraging SIEM systems to aggregate and analyze logs enables real-time threat detection and response. This proactive approach allows businesses to identify suspicious activities swiftly and mitigate potential breaches before significant damage occurs. By continuously monitoring systems, organizations can maintain a proactive security posture, minimizing the impact of cyber threats and ensuring the integrity of their operations.

Continuous monitoring is a critical component of an effective information security strategy, enabling businesses to handle and reduce risks efficiently while ensuring compliance, protecting data, and maintaining trust with stakeholders. Continuous monitoring allows for the real-time detection and response to security threats, thereby enabling a proactive stance against potential cyber-attacks which improves incident response as well. This vigilant approach not only safeguards information but also fortifies the organization's overall security posture.

According to NIST cybersecurity framework on of the components to handle and reduce risk is “Detect” Detect - in simple words is to keep detecting potential threats with continuous monitoring. An organisation can leverage SIEM for continuous detection and monitoring of potential threats and reduces the risk .

The short story, there is no value if there's no one monitoring and acting on the information. The long story is that multiple types of data exist, from a security perspective the 'gold' lies in the data feeds which contain security related actionable data. Pointing all data sources at a cloud SIEM will be cost prohibitive. Working with a qualified security partner can enable skills sets to be utilized that may not exist or be accessible due to workload in your current staff.

Not only should you be using your SIEM, you should also be aware of external reporting agencies, NIST, NCSC, anti-virus updates and many more provide information on new and emerging threats. Ensure you are part of the collective who receive these reports so that as well as analysing your own logs you are aware of threats on the horizon.

Importantíssimo ter um plano de recuperação operacional e um plano de recuperação de desastre e ter uma frequência de testes dos mesmos e monitoramentos de tempos de respostas nos testes e recuperação das operações

Nesse tópico, sempre colocamos a famosa frase "se acontecer?". Estamos preparados? Fazer treinamentos com colaboradores, sobre o que fazer em certas situações, pode salvar uma empresa. Desenvolver estratégias e uma boa documentação pratica, simulações e testes devem ser regular.

Mitigating cybersecurity risks is paramount to safeguarding your organization's assets. Here are some practical strategies to consider: 1. Implement robust data encryption and maintain regular backups. 2. Conduct comprehensive and ongoing employee training programs. 3. Stay abreast of the latest software updates and security patches. 4. Enforce strong password policies, employing complex combinations and multi-factor authentication. 5. Evaluate and monitor third-party vendors' security practices. 6. Minimize your attack surface by disabling unnecessary services, ports, and protocols. 7. Prioritize physical security measures. 8. Establish a comprehensive incident response plan.

It is very important to assume that a security incident will occur at some point. It is impossible to guarantee 100% security, neither at the level of processes, nor at the level of staff behaviour. Being prepared for any type of incident today is crucial to be able to quickly detect what has happened, to propose containment and remediation measures and to implement mechanisms after the incident to prevent a similar incident from happening again.

As long as you add a new functionality you are getting a new risk, reducing risks means removing features. I would rather prefer the term controlling risks on reducing risk, because it encompasses a broader, more holistic approach to managing potential threats. The control measures can be adjusted to adopt the changing of the threat landscape.

The most important part in reducing risk in a business is by having a work risk governance to manage any identified risks. Risk need to be identified and evaluated, but then they need to be reported to which ever mangement level can take action on the risk (depending on the risk appetite). Because only they can either accept the risk or allocate ressource to reduce the risk. That ressource allocation is what leads to the technical (or organizational) meassures being implemented to reduce the risk.