Fact: Organizations Should Conduct General Reviews of Cybersecurity
While technical tests like penetration testing and vulnerability scans are important, they focus only on a specific set of technical controls. General reviews of cybersecurity can provide a more comprehensive look at an organization’s security posture. These reviews may include policy reviews, security awareness training for employees and tabletop exercises that simulate real-world cyberattacks.
By taking a broader approach, organizations can identify weaknesses in their overall security programs, such as gaps in employee training or deficiencies in security policies. Addressing these issues can help organizations improve their security posture and reduce the risk of a successful cyberattack.
LEARN MORE: How vulnerability scanning, penetration testing and red teaming differ.
Fact: Cybersecurity Teams Should Engage in External Assessments
Internal cybersecurity teams should not just sit back and let an assessment occur without their participation. While internal teams are experts on organizational systems and processes, they can become myopic and miss potential vulnerabilities that an external assessment might uncover. Engaging with external assessors allows internal teams to gain a fresh perspective on their security posture and identify vulnerabilities that they may have overlooked. Additionally, external assessments can help internal teams justify security investments to management by providing independent validation of their findings.
By working together with external assessors, internal teams can complement their own knowledge and skills with the expertise of outside professionals to improve the overall security of their organizations.
Conducting regular cybersecurity assessments is critical for businesses looking to stay ahead of emerging threats and keep their systems secure. It’s important that these assessments be tailored to an organization’s unique needs and risks, and they should be supplemented with more general reviews of cybersecurity practices. By avoiding common fallacies and embracing best practices in cybersecurity assessments, organizations can better protect themselves from the growing threat of cyberattacks and safeguard their sensitive data and assets.
