Cybersecurity in your company: A 360º digital solution from Nubiral 

1. Introduction: Why should you implement a cybersecurity plan in your company?

Why should you implement a cybersecurity plan in your company?

A cybersecurity plan is made up of a set of essential actions that provide insights into the current state of security within the organization.

It allows us to identify the level of risks faced by the organization, define actions to overcome threats and act to mitigate, reduce or accept those risks.

2. Steps to develop a cybersecurity plan

To develop an effective cybersecurity plan, you need to move forward with these steps:

Assess the current risk situation

The first step is to identify and understand the security risks that the organization faces. You can assess the chances of their happening and the eventual impact they would have if they occur. The result is a risk map that covers the entire organization.

 Establishing security objectives in the organization

Companies often move on to this step without having completed the previous one. However, in order to establish clear security objectives, it is essential to know the risks first. The objectives must cover different aspects. They are prevention (anticipating attacks), detection (identifying when the risk materializes) and recovery (ensuring that the damage is the least possible in the event of an incident).

Defining concrete actions

With the objectives already defined, the next step is to identify the specific actions to be taken to achieve them. What can these actions be? Implementation of specific systems, stop & checks, staff training and  infrastructure review, among others.

Review security policies

Threats are dynamic. Cybersecurity decisions must be dynamic as well. It is essential in this instance to review security policies to ensure that they are in place. This means that they are effective with the identified risks, that they are aligned with the objectives set and that they enable the actions decided to be taken.

Create a risk management plan

A detail of how the organization will identify, assess and respond to risks. Among other things, responsibilities, monitoring and control processes, and contingency actions should be defined.

Establish a cybersecurity culture in the organization

This is perhaps one of the key steps. Everyone in the organization must be aware of the risks and the importance of cybersecurity to face them. The definition of a culture involves training, the use of specific awareness tools and the promotion of good practices among all employees.

Implementing the cybersecurity plan

It is time to get down to work. Allocate resources, implement the actions decided, set up the necessary structures, implement the solutions, establish the training programs and all the actions defined.

Evaluating the cybersecurity plan

As mentioned, risks and threats are dynamic. Therefore, it is essential to periodically review the plan. This ensures that it continues to be effective and that it adapts to changes. For this, several strategies are used, ranging from security audits to penetration tests.

3. What are the most common attacks?

Here is a list of the most common cyber-attacks:

Malware

Malicious software designed to infiltrate or damage a device or system without the user’s consent. There are different types such as: viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware and ransomware (which we will detail shortly).

The spread of malware occurs from downloads to unsecured websites with malicious emails that induce the user to execute an infected URL or files.

Ransomware

This is a specific type of malware that, due to its «popularity», deserves to be described separately. It encrypts files on a system and demands a ransom (usually in cryptocurrencies) to restore access to the data.

It is usually spread via phishing emails (see below), malicious websites or software vulnerabilities.

 Phishing

Social engineering strategy. The cybercriminal attempts to trick users into revealing personal information such as passwords or credit card details. To do so, they use links to fake websites or emails with malicious attachments pretending to be from legitimate entities (bank, government office).

DDoS

Abbreviation for «distributed denial of service attack». These attacks seek to overload a server, network or system with a large amount of malicious traffic. This prevents legitimate users from gaining access. They are usually carried out from a network of compromised computers (botnets) controlled by an attacker.

OWASP

Acronym for Open Web Application Security Project. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving software security. It identifies web application security vulnerabilities. These include XSS (Cross Site Scripting), SQL injection, and authentication and authorization vulnerabilities.

Insider threat

Occurs when the organization’s security is compromised by an individual working within the organization. It can be intentional (a disgruntled employee, a saboteur) or accidental (an employee who falls into a phishing trap).

4. What are the types of cybersecurity?

There are different types of cybersecurity and they all play an important role in the plan. Some of the most important ones are:

Critical Infrastructure

Protection of systems and networks that support a company’s day-to-day operations. Their disruption could have significant consequences for society or the economy (energy, health, public safety, water, transportation).

Network security

Safeguards the integrity, confidentiality and availability of computer networks.

Cloud security

Focuses on protecting data, applications and services stored in the cloud against unauthorized access, data loss and service interruption.

IoT (Internet of Things) Security

Monitors and secures all internet-connected devices, including data manipulation and device hijacking.

Data security

Ensures data confidentiality, integrity and availability.

Application security

Focuses on protecting software applications against SQL injection attacks, XSS and authentication vulnerabilities, among others.

Identity security

Protection of users’ digital identity. Promotes that only authorized persons access systems and data.

Endpoint security

Prevents threats from reaching connected devices. Involves end devices: desktops and laptops. Secures them against malware, ransomware and phishing.

Mobile device security

Focuses on mobile devices and the applications and data they store.

Threat intelligence

Collection and analysis of cyber threat data to effectively prevent, detect and respond to attacks.

Security event management

Real-time monitoring and evaluation of security events to identify potential threats and respond in a timely manner.

Incident Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR)

Improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the cybersecurity plan by coordinating components, automating processes and increasing responsiveness.

Disaster recovery

Planning and execution of procedures to restore systems and data after a security incident or natural disaster.

End-user education

Training and awareness of security best practices to minimize the risk of users becoming victims of phishing or malware.

5. What are the latest cybersecurity technologies?

Here are some of today’s most used approaches:

Zero trust

Architecture based on the premise of not trusting anything inside or outside the network. People and devices must be constantly authenticated and authorized before they are allowed to access resources.

It includes the use of multi-factor authentication, network segmentation, micro-segmentation, continuous monitoring and access policies based on identity.

Behavioral analysis

Algorithms and models to detect anomalies in user and system behavior that may indicate malicious activity. Detects access from unusual locations and after hours. Also identifies sudden changes in network traffic patterns.

Intrusion Detection System (IDS)

It monitors and analyzes network traffic for suspicious or malicious activity in order to generate alerts if detected.

Data encryption

Protects data by converting information into an unreadable format using cryptographic algorithms. It is used to protect data at rest (stored), in transit (transmitted over networks) and in use (in memory or processing).

6. Nubiral, a 360º digital solution

Cybersecurity cannot be seen as a static project that is «attached» to technological initiatives when they are already in operation or in the process of implementation.

It must be there from the very beginning. And, of course, it must be reinforced in all solutions that are already in operation.

To accompany your organization, at Nubiral we design a cybersecurity offering that integrates with the rest of our solutions, providing a 360º digital experience. 

It’s time to start evolving your cybersecurity plan. Our experts are waiting for your contact: Schedule your meeting!