CYBER SECURITY CONSULTING SERVICE AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
CyberSecOp's comprehensive managed security services, cyber security consulting, professional services, and data protection technology are recognized as industry-leading threat detection and response solutions by major analyst firms, key media outlets, and others.
The Importance of Identity Verification, User Denials, and Geo-Location Tracking
In today's digital age, securing systems against unauthorized access is more crucial than ever. A recent incident underscores the importance of robust identity verification, user denial mechanisms, and geo-location tracking in safeguarding your systems.
The Incident: A Cautionary Tale
Consider a recent event involving a tech firm that hired a remote engineer for their IT team. The individual was presented as an 'American' worker, but in a shocking turn of events, it was revealed that this so-called American was, in fact, a North Korean hacker utilizing a VPN to obscure their true location. This revelation highlighted a significant gap in the company's security protocols, specifically in their ability to verify identities and track user geo-locations.
Understanding Identity Verification
Identity verification is the cornerstone of secure access management. It involves confirming that a user is who they claim to be. Traditional methods include passwords and security questions, but these are increasingly vulnerable to sophisticated attacks. Modern solutions leverage multi-factor authentication (MFA), biometric data, and advanced behavioral analytics to enhance security.
In the tech firm's case, failure to implement stringent identity verification measures allowed a malicious actor to bypass their security. This underscores the need for continuous and rigorous identity checks, particularly for remote employees who may pose a higher risk.
User Denial Mechanisms
Denying access to unauthorized users is a critical aspect of maintaining system security. This involves implementing systems and processes to prevent known threats from gaining access. For instance, employing a zero-trust model ensures that no user, whether internal or external, is granted access without thorough verification.
In our example, the tech firm lacked effective denial mechanisms to filter out potential threats, leading to their exposure. By integrating advanced threat detection and response systems, organizations can better protect themselves against such breaches.
The Role of Geo-Location Tracking
Geo-location tracking can add an extra layer of security by verifying users’ physical locations. When combined with other identity verification measures, geo-location data helps ensure that access attempts align with expected user behaviors and locations.
For the tech firm, geolocation tracking might have raised red flags regarding the remote worker's actual location. Effective geo-location tracking can help organizations detect anomalies and prevent unauthorized access when used in conjunction with other security measures.
Partnering with CyberSecOp for Enhanced Security
To prevent such incidents from happening to your organization, consider partnering with a dedicated CyberSecOp security team. Our experts can work closely with your organization to implement comprehensive security solutions, providing visibility into every connection and ensuring that your identity verification, user denial mechanisms, and geo-location tracking are robust and effective.
By leveraging CyberSecOp's expertise, you can enhance your security posture, mitigate risks, and protect your systems from potential threats. Our team is committed to helping you achieve peace of mind by safeguarding your digital assets and maintaining the integrity of your operations.
Lessons Learned
The incident involving the tech firm serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of a multi-faceted approach to security. By focusing on rigorous identity verification, robust user denial mechanisms, effective geo-location tracking, and partnering with experts like CyberSecOp, organizations can better safeguard their systems against unauthorized access and potential threats.
In an era of increasingly common remote work and digital interactions, investing in comprehensive security measures is not just a precaution—it's a necessity.
Empowering Digital Business: The Role of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
the role of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) has evolved into a senior-level executive whose responsibilities traverse areas of technology, risk, and compliance. CISOs have a fiduciary and legal responsibility to their respective organizations, the board, and the public. As a leader for ensuring compliance, the gatekeeper and protector of Intellectual Property, Business Enablement and fortifying the enterprise’s digital ecosystem the CISO is a business influencer! .
As organizations increasingly digitize their operations, ingest more data, and adopt AI initiatives, the CISO stands at the forefront of risk and compliance, ensuring that cybersecurity measures safeguard against the evolving threat landscape, mitigating risk while also enabling threats and supporting our business’s ability to grow and innovate
Developing a Robust Cybersecurity Program
Per Gartner, by 2027, 75% of employees will engage with technology outside the visibility of IT—significantly higher than the 41% reported in 2022. This underscores the CISO's challenge to secure an increasingly decentralized technology landscape while enabling agile and secure digital transformation through the adoption of AI, advanced machine learning, and automation throughout the enterprise.
Embracing Generative AI in Cybersecurity
Generative AI represents a transformative opportunity and challenge for CISOs. As Jeremy D'Hoinne, VP Analyst and KI Leader at Gartner, emphasizes, CISOs must navigate the complexities of generative AI to secure critical business applications of effectively of integrating AI-driven technologies like ChatGPT marks just the beginning of how AI will reshape cybersecurity practices, demanding proactive strategies to harness its benefits while mitigating risks.
Technology Adoption, Security Risk Management and Leveraging Gartner's Cybersecurity Roadmap
CyberSecOp is an award-winning, Gartner-recognized global cybersecurity consultancy. Gartner’s IT Roadmap for Cybersecurity offers a comprehensive guide based on experience, extensive research and insights from thousands of organizations across diverse sectors. It outlines best practices and key stages necessary for executing effective cybersecurity initiatives. CIOs, CISOs, and security leaders can leverage this roadmap to navigate complex security challenges and align cybersecurity strategies with business objectives. Further, CyberSecOp has effectively platformed a programmatic approach to The Technology Adoption Roadmap for Security and Risk Management, which highlights 49 key technologies categorized by adoption phase, deployment risks, and enterprise value. This roadmap operationalizes and helps prioritize investments and strategies to mitigate risks and effectively establish risk tolerances.
Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB)
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR)
Deception Technologies
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
Identity Governance and Administration (IGA)
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Container Security
Network Traffic Analysis (NTA)
Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIP)
Encryption Technologies
Mobile Device Management (MDM)
Vulnerability Assessment and Management
Incident Response Platforms (IRP)
Application Security Testing (AST)
Behavioral Analytics
File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP)
Data Encryption Gateways
Microsegmentation
Security Ratings Services
Network Access Control (NAC)
Web Application Firewalls (WAF)
Privileged Access Management (PAM)
Security Awareness Training
Remote Browser Isolation (RBI)
Blockchain Security
Email Security Gateways
Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPP)
Database Security
Security Configuration Management
Security Operations Centers (SOC)
API Security Management
Backup and Recovery Solutions
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)
Deep Packet Inspection (DPI)
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Security Policy Management
Security Incident and Event Management (SIEM)
Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW)
Data Masking and Tokenization
Insider Threat Detection
Patch Management
Security Awareness Training
Risk Assessment Tools
Digital Rights Management (DRM)
Forensic Analysis Tools
Network Segmentation Tools
These technologies are crucial for organizations looking to enhance their security posture, manage risks effectively, and align their security strategies with business objectives. Gartner's categorization helps security and risk management leaders prioritize investments and initiatives based on the adoption phase, deployment risks, and enterprise value of each technology.
What Does Cybersecurity Compliance Mean?
Cybersecurity Compliance involves meeting various controls (usually enacted by a regulatory authority, law, or industry group) to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. This is usually driven by a security consultant.
What is a Security Consultant?
A security consultant, also sometimes called a security analyst, pinpoints vulnerabilities in computer systems, networks, and software programs and identifies solutions to defend against hackers. This consultant role is a strong example of a highly specialized IT occupation.
What Does a Cybersecurity Consultant do?
Cybersecurity consultants assess an organization's security operations, computer systems, network, and software for vulnerabilities, then design and implement the best security solutions for the company. If a cyberattack does happen, the client will reach out to a security consulting firm, such as CyberSecOp, to seek expertise to respond and mitigate the damage. Cybersecurity consultants and risk managers can provide your organization with technology controls, policies, procedures and other management controls.
What does a Risk Manager do?
While cyber security consultants/analysts are geared more towards the technology stack of an organization a Risk Manager takes it a level higher and focuses on the organization risk from a holistic view. A risk manager can help an organization understand how to formulate a documented Risk Management Framework (RMF) in which representation from key stakeholders and leaders take part in continuously assessing, identifying and mitigating risks for the organization. This goes beyond the security tools and into the realm of Policy, Culture, Procedure, Communication and continuous improvement. Risk Managers are skilled at organizational risk and are a key component of not only ensuring compliance, but risk reduction as a whole. It is important to remember that being compliant is not necessarily being secure, and risk mangers can bring that whole package together.
What are Cybersecurity Consulting Services?
Cybersecurity consulting helps organizations mitigate certain risks and prevent identity theft, hacking and data theft. A cybersecurity consultant can also help identify risks that the business may have previously overlooked. Cybersecurity consulting acts as an extension to your in-house security team.
Main Areas of Focus Will Be:
Security management, governance and compliance
Risk Management
Security monitoring
Security architecture
Incident response
Remediation of attacks
Attack detection
Cybersecurity Consulting Service Benefits
Cybersecurity consulting acts as an extension to your in-house security team.
The professionals from CyberSecOp security consulting services can identify problems within the organization
Maximize your security investments with cybersecurity services.
Cybersecurity consulting management makes it easier to handle regulatory and compliance requirements.
Cybersecurity services provide you with experts who have the training, experience and qualifications needed to identify and manage risk all the while ensuring your business remains compliant.
CyberSecOp security consulting services help your organization achieve maturity within your security environment. CyberSecOp cybersecurity consulting firm has experience with diverse clients across many industries. A skilled group of security consultants will know the pitfalls and hurdles to avoid in relation to your security transformation or security compliance requirements.
CEO Letter - Cyber Security Operations Consulting (CyberSecOp)
Vinny La Rocca
Chief Executive Officer
We believe the foundation of our success is grounded in our vision to uplift enterprise security while ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability beyond best practices. That purpose is a virtuous circle. We create long-term value by empowering our people to deliver for our customers and communities. CyberSecOp helps organizations with security consulting, incident response and ransomware negotiation, payment, and recovery.
Our vital role to the community can be found in our mission statement. Our mission is to make the world a better place by defending and protecting our clients and partners from the theft of sensitive data through rapid incident response, cyber security programs, threat hunting, and the deployment of protective measures.
Sustainability and Growth
Our sustainability is rooted in our vision and mission statement. We believe this is an integral part of our growth and the reason we can keep our promises to our clients and partners.
Growth - Expectations for 2022 are higher than 2021, a year with 85% growth. Cyber risks currently rank as one of the top global threats to businesses and custodians of data, along with an ever-increasing number of data privacy and protection laws. These factors, combined with CyberSecOp’s ability to respond both proactively and reactively, put the company in a very favorable position.
Partnerships - CyberSecOp continues to develop, encourage and align an increasing number of strategic partnerships, allowing our teams to continually improve upon our Service Level Agreements (SLA’s) and expand our portfolio and breadth of services.
Culture - CyberSecOp has built a culture of people passionate about Cybersecurity and Professional Services. Uniting around a common goal brings our team together and ensures everyone is working to assist our clients with Cyber Security and compliance. We are a diverse workforce with an open and collaborative culture. Our goal is to be a leading security consulting company by empowering our employees to provide top-quality services measured against best-in-class industry benchmarks.
Customer Success - Customer satisfaction and success continue to be CyberSecOp’s highest priority, measured by retention and the increase in recurring services. Our success is a direct result of the success of our clients.
Our commitment to our mission, staff, clients and partners will continue to fuel our fast growth, creating long-term value for all stakeholders.
What is Your Organization's Cybersecurity Game Plan?
What is Your Organization’s Game Plan for Optimizing Cybersecurity Management?
Like the teams prepping for Sunday's Big Game, cybersecurity and risk management require a playbook to efficiently manage multiple frameworks. Most organizations are going on the offensive with their defensive measures in regards to cybersecurity and risk management. CyberSecOp cybersecurity programs empower your security maturity and culture by utilizing multiple security frameworks to address expanding requirements.
Why is Offensive Defense Important?
Threats like ransomware give attackers the ability to shut down your access to devices, databases and other data streams. While large corporations and government agencies are in attackers’ crosshairs to yield big payouts, small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are not immune to ransomware risks.
Which Security Framework Can Reduce the Risk of Ransomware?
CyberSecOp provides cyber risk and advisory programs to identify the right security framework for your organization and industry.
How CyberSecOp Assists Our Customers:
To protect against ransomware, CyberSecOp assists clients to implement NIST Cybersecurity Framework and NIST SP 800-207, Zero Trust Architecture to help understand, manage and reduce your cybersecurity risks like phishing and ransomware attacks.
CyberSecOp assist our customers with:
Benefits
Reduce the potential of ransomware encryption
Experienced Security & IT leader
Reduce risk
Build risk assessment program
Third-party risks, privacy compliance and data processing mapping.
Response and mitigation strategies
Security monitoring (SOC & MDR)
GRC platform that incorporates all stages of processing in the risk operational workflow.
Monitor and report on combines and individual frameworks
CyberSecOp cybersecurity experts have been involved in thousands of audit processes at organizations worldwide. Our team has experience with the following framework and regulatory requirements: NIST, PCI, HIPAA, GLBA, SOC, FISMA, GDPR, NYDFS, ISO 27000, SEC, FINRA and others.
Cyber Threats Require New Approach to Design Flaws and Risk
Now that the year is in full swing, and you’re only left with the distant memories, COVID, and cyber security, what are your business cyber objectives for 2022?
Ours goals are to continue helping businesses:
Improving security for everyone, by doubling the amount or organizations we helped last year (100% our client shows no evidence of a data breach)
Offer competitive pricing, to make security an attainable goal for every organization
Reduce cost and increase security by implementing more automation and artificial intelligence
Cyber threats are a real threat to all modern businesses, with the evolution of technology in all sectors. Malicious cyberattacks in 2021 forced shutdown of many business operations at an average downtime of a month. According to multiple reports, the amount of companies who ended paid hackers grew by 300% in 2020, and 200% in 2021. The businesses that were victimized had two options, pay the ransom or go out of business.
Email is the most popular attack vector
Email is still a top attack vector cybercriminal use. A majority of data breaches are caused by attacks on the human layer, but email hacking is much more than phishing.
Top 3 email attacks
Most wire frauds are successful over email communication; the focus trust, in most case the threat actor would be in the middle of a communication between two are more parties. This allows the threat actor to control the conversation, and change wire information.
Threat actor’s setup email rules to keep persistent connections and visibility to gain insight into the organization long after all passwords have been changed.
Threat actors add external emails to distribution groups to keep persistent connect and gain continuous insight into the organization in preparation for their next attack.
Double and Triple Extortion
Cybercriminal groups identified by the FBI responsible for most incidents are known for conducting aggressive “double/triple extortion” ransomware attacks once they have gained access to a network.
In double extortion attacks not only is the victim organization’s data rendered inaccessible until a ransom is paid but the criminals may further monetize the ransomware attack by coupling it with a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack or selling the stolen data onto other criminal groups. In some cases, if the organization is not careful, hackers use email, phone, or text to deceive employees into helping them commit wire fraud.
Providing security is challenging in any industry, whether you’re talking about agriculture, automobiles, furniture, financial services, or educational. It requires special equipment and knowledge around how things can fail in the field, and a disciplined approach to executing tests that reflect real-world conditions as much as possible.
This is where CyberSecOp can help your organization
We are an independent third-party testing, and compliance readiness firm, operating only within the cybersecurity industry. With our comprehensive suite of services and solutions our team can provide continuous testing, security program development, security tabletop exercise, security awareness training to reduce risk and increase critical testing against sensitive systems, using real-world conditions.
CyberSecOp Becomes A CMMC Register Provider Organization
CyberSecOp is a leading Cybersecurity Services Provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) advisory services and cyber security solutions.
CyberSecOp is an CMMC Registered Provider Organization (RPO) listed on the CMMC-AB Marketplace. Our organization staff have passed the RP Exam, Background Check and signed the RPO agreement, indicating our commitment to comply with the CMMC-AB Code of Professional Conduct. CyberSecOp is also an ISO 27001-certified organization.
What are CMMC-AB, CMMC, and the Responsibility of the RPO Designation?
CMMC-AB authorizes RPOs to provide CMMC consulting services in support of government contractors, supply chain/DoD suppliers, and organizations seeking certification within the Defense Industrial Base (DIB).
The CMMC-AB is an independent accreditation body that manages the CMMC on behalf of the DoD. The CMMC framework is a set of mandatory cybersecurity requirements that all contractors within the DoD supply chain will be required to implement and, beginning this year, to have verified by an independent CMMC Third Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO). CMMC was created to address the ongoing theft of and unauthorized access to Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) by foreign adversaries through the enforcement of good cyber hygiene and best practices.
It initially launched in June 2020 and formally announced in August 2020 that it was accepting applications for five types of credentialed roles within the CMMC ecosystem. These include the following:
· C3PAOs
· Certified Assessors (CAs)
· Certified Professionals (CPs)
· Licensed Partner Publishers (LPPs)
· Registered Practitioners (RPs)
· Registered Provider Organizations (RPOs)
The CMMC framework establishes five certification levels with a defined security posture or maturity level an organization must achieve, determined by the sensitivity of the information they handle. These are outlined below:
How can CyberSecOp help your organization with CMMC?
CyberSecOp has created a suite of advisory services to help organizations effectively plan and prepare for an official CMMC assessment: CMMC Consulting, CMMC Readiness, Assessments, CMMC-RPO, CMMC Gap Analysis, DFARS, ITAR, VCISO, MSSP, NIST 800 53, and NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), NIST 800-171, Security Services.
CMMC Scoping Workshop – determine the type of data and the required CMMC maturity level needed. Identify how data is received, stored, shared and handled on all information systems.
CMMC Gap Analysis – identify discrepancies between current state and CMMC maturity levels as determined in the scoping workshop. The CMMC Gap Analysis will provide areas of weakness that need to be targeted to reach the desired maturity level.
CMMC Remediation Strategy –assist the organization with remediation efforts, including resolving discrepancies identified in the CMMC Gap Analysis and creating a strategic plan for remediation. This process may include security control testing, polices, procedures and plan creation to close all known gaps related to the desired maturity level.
VCISO (Virtual Chief Information Security Officer) – CyberSecOp provides a board-level security expert backed by a team of professionals to ensure continuous compliance and maintain the maturity level as threats, infrastructure and business objectives evolve. Services include the following.
Compliance Advisory Consulting Services
CMMC Readiness
Vulnerability and Penetration Testing Assessment
Ransomware Response
Forensic Analysis
24/7/365 Security Operations Center (SOC)
Cyber Security Consulting
CMMC Cybersecurity RP, RPO
Incident Response & Incident Management
Security Assessments
Security Awareness
Data Loss Prevention
About CyberSecOp
Cyber Security Operations Consulting (CyberSecOp) is an innovative cybersecurity firm, providing consultants and managed security services to empower businesses since 2001. Our IT & cybersecurity consulting services protect you from cyber criminals in myriad ways. From implementing individualized Cyber Security Programs, which include written Information Security Programs, Incident Response Policies and Plans, and Cybersecurity Assessments, to offering the best-in-class cybersecurity consulting, tools, and IT security solutions, we do it all.
CyberSecOp is an CMMC-AB RPO & ISO 27001 Certified Organization - join thousands of businesses by putting your security in our hands. For more information about CyberSecOp and CMMC, contact us at 866-973-2677, Sales@CyberSecOp.com or visit: www.CyberSecOp.com.