What Makes a Security Plan?

     Hello, and welcome back to my blog. This week, I would like to quickly discuss the levels that go into making a security plan. These types of plans are an important tool for IT departments and Cybersecurity Administrators to design a plan that will help protect or slow down an attack on the network.

    Of course, security plans can vary from company to company; however, their purpose remains the same, with threats looming every day. With IT managers adjusting in response to the ever-changing threats, the created security plan must be designed to stop or slow down any attempt to breach network defenses. Below we will look at the principal components of a security plan and what they entail. 

 

Separate Networks

     

     As the name suggests, having more than one network can protect company assists from hackers and the like. The reason being is that having every computer on one network would lead to issues if that subsequent work were to fail, which would stop operations altogether. To avoid this, having separate networks makes sense as you would not want to have accounting on the same network with engineering or Human Resources and sales. Having different networks also protects other departments in case of a breach as it would only affect one network and not all. 

 

Network Monitoring and Anti-Virus

     

    Having an anti-virus application may help in some cases; however, Christopher Camejo noted in his blog that "only 46 percent of viruses that are in the wild are caught by ant-virus software." (Comejo, 2016) This can be a startling revelation for some that generally protect with the anti-virus software they may help us on a day-to-day basis. One of the ways to combat this issue is by monitoring the network and email traffic for any behavioral signs, which can be done with either AI or with some physically watching the network traffic. In addition, anti-virus software will need to be installed on all computers, servers, and mobile endpoints and updated regularly.

 

Updated Systems and Software 

     

    While having updated anti-virus software plays a part in the grand scheme of the security plan, it will not help much if the software and operating system do not update with the latest security patches. However, security patches take time to implement as the IT team must vet them to ensure that they will not impact the daily operations. This can be an issue if the rollout of security patches takes a long time, which means every system on the network is at risk of being targeted.

 

A Planned Response

    

    Not being ready at a moment's notice can spell disaster for a business. Moreover, when they occur, the company's IT department responds to the threat as it is happening. In Comejo's article, "5 Top Keys to Success for a Strong Network Security Plan," He discusses that "most organizations do not have a functional plan for responding to an incident." (Comejo, 2016) It is troubling to think that this could be any company that interacts with people each day. It does not matter the company's size either since most companies that deal with data breaches are multimillion-dollar companies. 

 

Ongoing Vigilance       

    It is important to remember that large amounts of encrypted data are being transferred at any given time. More so with the invention of social media, online shopping, and many companies using the Internet for commerce. As a result, transactions are being done every second, making it a prime target for bad actors to take advantage of if a vendor has not secured their website well enough. In this case, IT departments, be it a web service or small business, need to be vigilant to protect the customer and the company. Not doing so would lead to litigation or bankruptcy due to customer data being compromised. 

    Having a sound security plan in case a threat is looming or in progress can assist an IT department in mitigating the danger or, if followed correctly, can eliminate any threat from happening. However, making adjustments and training a response team should never be taken lightly. It is essential to check in with your team periodically to ensure everyone is on the same page and knows their duties in case of an attack. 
  

  So, with all, have you designed a security plan for your company? If so, please share your experiences in the comments; I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Also, let me know if I left anything out or if an area requires revising. 

 

Until then, take care, and I will see you soon! 

 

References

Camejo, C. (2016, June 28). 5 top keys to success for a strong network security plan. Security Today. https://securitytoday.com/blogs/reaction/2016/06/5-Top-Keys-to-Success-for-a-Strong-Network-Security-Plan.aspx.

Truta, M. from F., Truta, F., 24, M. J. | A., 12, C. O. C. | A., 10, A. M. | A., Yesterday, R. J. |, 26, R. J. | A., & 23, R. J. | A. (2019, October 31). 60% of breaches in 2019 Involved unpatched vulnerabilities. Security Boulevard. https://securityboulevard.com/2019/10/60-of-breaches-in-2019-involved-unpatched-vulnerabilities/.