The 7 Things I Know About Cyber Security After 25 Years | April 2024
What Are The Six Pillars Of Cybersecurity.pdf
1. WHAT ARE THE SIX PILLARS
OF CYBERSECURITY?
In today's hyper-connected digital age, safeguarding
our digital assets, personal information, and business
data has become paramount. Given the cyberattack
surge, organizations and individuals seek the best
strategies to protect their digital realms.
2. Asset Management: Cataloging and classifying all
digital assets, from hardware and software to data
repositories.
Risk Assessment: Identifying vulnerabilities, threats,
and potential impacts to provide a risk-based approach
to protection.
The primary step in any cybersecurity strategy is to know
what you're protecting. This involves:
Identification
3. Access Control: Only allowing authorized users to access
certain information or systems.
Data Security: Protecting data at rest, in transit, and
during processing.
Awareness and Training: Educating employees and users
about potential threats and best practices.
Once you've identified what needs to be protected, the next
step is implementing measures to ensure their safety. This
encompasses:
Protection
4. Anomaly Detection: Spotting unusual patterns or
behaviors that might signify a security incident.
Continuous Monitoring: Regularly scanning systems and
networks to identify potential vulnerabilities or breaches.
Even with the best preventive measures, there's always a
chance that threats can breach defenses. Detection
capabilities ensure that any anomalies or breaches are
promptly identified. This involves:
Detection
5. Incident Response Plan: A pre-defined strategy detailing
handling and recovering from security incidents.
Communication: Informing stakeholders, and
sometimes the public, about the breach, its implications,
and remediation steps.
Upon detecting a threat, swift action is required to contain
and mitigate its impact. Key components include:
Response
6. Data Backup and Recovery: Having regular backups to
restore data integrity and availability.
Improvements: Using lessons from the incident to
strengthen the organization's cybersecurity posture.
After addressing the immediate threats, the focus shifts to
restoring and validating system functionality for business
operations to resume. This pillar emphasizes:
Recovery
7. Policies and Procedures: Establishing guidelines and best
practices for maintaining cybersecurity.
Regulatory Compliance: Adhering to regional and industry-
specific data protection and privacy regulations.
Risk Management: Continuously evaluating and addressing
risks to ensure they align with the organization's risk
tolerance and objectives.
Beyond the technical aspects, organizations must consider the
broader context in which they operate. This includes:
Governance, Risk Management,
and Compliance (GRC)
8. These six pillars provide a structured approach to bolstering
an organization's cybersecurity defenses. By approaching
cybersecurity holistically, organizations can better anticipate
challenges, respond to threats, and ensure their digital assets'
continuous integrity and availability.
Remember, in cybersecurity, a robust defense is built on
multiple layers, each reinforcing the other.
Conclusion