What is Cybersecurity & Security Risk Assessment?

CYBERSECURITY & SECURITY RISK ASSESSMENT

Cybersecurity encompasses the functions, actions, processes, tools, and resources utilized in securing one’s digital presence and cyber network of connected systems, data, and devices. It aims to reduce risk to an organization or entity continuously. It is a complex endeavor where the effort is constant, the dangers are abundant, and visibility is key. Visibility is knowledge, its power, and it can be the difference between staying in business or going out of business. It is the difference between making your customers and clients live better or unintentionally much worse, providing for your employees with a good living or adding to unemployment, and focusing on growing your organization or worrying about how to pay regulatory fines. Yes, visibility is all that and more.  

Cybersecurity & Security Risk Assessment Benefits  

Now that we’ve established that visibility is essential, let’s look at what it means in the cyber-realm. Visibility is to cyber what doors, windows, locks, roofs, basements, weapons, and fighting or defensive resources are to a zombie attack. Imagine this: you’re in a big house with many rooms, doors, windows, etc., and you are under a zombie attack. You run and close the garage door, lock the front and back doors, shut the windows, and believe you are safe. But you had no idea the roof is only an inch thick and caves in with the slightest weight or some room somewhere in the house had an extra window, and it’s wide open. Think about how all the effort you put into closing all those other doors and windows just went to waste because you missed one and how important it would have been to have known all of that. Game over, right?! That is the power of visibility. Gain knowledge of every weakness and strength and all factors that can potentially become routes to attack or provide defenses.  

Cyber Attacks Prevention

 In the efforts of ensuring data and systems are protected from cyber-attacks and the plethora of federal, state, and international regulations are met, one of the most powerful tools that provide the needed visibility is a Security Risk Assessment. A Security Risk Assessment conducted by an experienced third party is absolutely key to providing vital visibility into the entire organization’s strengths and weaknesses. But that’s not where a Security Risk Assessment ends. When correctly done, Security Risk Assessments go much further and provide detailed roadmaps to close the identified gaps and maximize the recognized strengths. Security Risk Assessments also hold an organization’s hand and walk them through which gaps pose the most significant risk; and which ones will cost the most or the least. This provides precise risk analysis, ranking all the gaps and risks in detail.   

When a third-party Security Risk Assessment is completed and presented, it should provide comprehensive guidance. The guidance offers complete visibility into all you didn’t know, confirmation of what you may have known, and precise advice on achieving a better and more mature security posture inclusive of all the proactive and reactive measures needed. 

It's no wonder every Security Framework, international, federal, and state regulation involving IT risk management and cybersecurity emphasizes Security Risk Assessments as a must-have. Don’t be blind to potentially devastating gaps in your organization. Contact us and get your Security Risk Assessment. Cyber-attackers are not waiting, and neither should you. 

Author: Carlos Neto