How Cyber Security Is Developed Within An Organization

What is cyber security? It is an ever evolving technology, which seeks to protect information from outside parties through the use of technological means. Computer security, cyber warfare or digital information security is the safety protection of computer networks and systems from malicious attack, data loss or destruction of their electronic information, or both, and from the manipulation or disruption of the services they offer. Cyber security solutions are now available to help organizations safeguard their computer systems from the malicious attacks of hackers and others that might seek to intrude on their systems or breach their networks. They also help organizations protect their confidential and highly sensitive information from being compromised by outsiders. Because of this many companies have found it necessary to hire outside of the company IT team to perform the necessary tasks of keeping their networks, servers and other systems safe from outside attack.

One of the primary functions of a qualified cyber security consultant is to develop and design effective ways for a business or organization to protect its confidential and protected information. In today’s world many companies rely heavily on e-mail in order to stay connected with their clients, suppliers and partners. It is also used in order to communicate internally, with other network users and with third parties like potential clients. When an employee of a company utilizes a company e-mail system to send or receive classified or sensitive information, it puts the information at risk of being intercepted, hacked or otherwise exploited by unscrupulous users who might try to obtain the private information. In addition, if an employee were to download malicious programs onto a workstation that is connected to the company’s main networks the entire network would be at risk. In all cases the safety of a company’s networks and systems must be kept in mind and must be continually protected from outside attacks and influences.

In order to successfully counter the increasing threats of cyber attacks, it is vital for companies to develop a proactive cyber security plan. This plan must address all of the security aspects of a company’s network as well as including both internal and external network security practices. A primary part of this plan is usually an annual vulnerability assessment which looks to identify vulnerabilities within the current IT infrastructure. Once vulnerabilities have been identified, the measures taken to mitigate the damage caused by the attack are then implemented. Internal controls and procedures are also putting into place to monitor activities within the company and report any flaws found so that appropriate action can be taken to correct the issues.

However, no system is completely safe from cyber security risk and therefore companies must continually evaluate their cyber security risk and the threats they face on a daily basis. To do this businesses must develop both an offensive and defensive strategy. Offensive cyber security efforts deal with the prevention of such attacks. These efforts include developing penetration tests and software that help detect weak spots in network security and monitoring security systems to increase the company’s overall cyber security risk posture. Defensive cyber security efforts are in response to an actual cyber attack and the aftermath of such an attack.

After identifying a cyber-security strategy, the measures taken to implement it are then created. Usually a cyber-security strategy will be set out by the executive team responsible for the company’s cyber security posture. These executives usually meet once or twice per year to discuss the company’s cyber security strategy, develop and implement cyber security measures, and review the results of each step. The goal of these meetings is to identify gaps in the company’s overall cyber security posture that could be exploited by an external attack. These gaps could include security weaknesses within websites, email servers, internal network, or even applications.

Defined policies regarding the response to specific cyber threats are also established. For instance, some companies will already have in place guidelines to take in any malware that enters their networks, while others may not be aware that such attacks happen. There are also policies to implement for taking action against internal users that download malicious programs from Internet sites, and there are even policies concerning the use of personal devices like mobile phones when on company premises. All of these steps work together to prevent attacks on the company’s valuable intellectual property and systems.