The need for Organizational cyber maturity

The term cyber security has been thrown around for a while, but many do not know all the aspects that are blended with it. It is the act of protecting oneself from the illegal or unauthorised use of computerised data. Cyber security does fall under the umbrella term IT security but cyber security has its kind of assets that need protection.

A little confused? Worry not as Growth Jockey is here to explain everything about cyber security and why an organisation needs cyber maturity?

What is Cyber Security?

The action of forming multiple layers of defence against cyberattacks across computers, gadgets, systems, and networks is referred to as Cyber Security. Organizations commonly have an arrangement and procedure in place for counteracting attempted or successful cyberattacks. Globally 30,000 websites are hacked every day. A reliable structure may help in the recognition and detection of threats, the defence of networks and systems, and the recuperation if an attack was successful.

This also has its specific counterparts– Information Security (INFOSEC), Information Assurance (IA), or System Security.

Types of Cyber Security

1. Network Security

By safeguarding the infrastructure network security aims to defend internal networks from intruders. Two-factor authentication (2FA) and the use of fresh, strong passwords are excellent instances of network security.

People have a habit of using free Wifi available in public areas like cafes, malls, etc. When you engage in this activity, a third party can track your phone over the internet. Your bank account could be empty if you are using any payment gateway. In this case, it would be best to avoid using free networks because they do not support security features.

2. Application Security

The second form of cyber security is application security. This refers to the security of the applications that we download from the Google Play Store or Apple Store. Many applications provide the impression of being secure, but after collecting all of our information, users share it with third parties. Bot attacks and other harmful interactions with apps and APIs are also stopped by application security.

3. Cloud Security

Over the past ten years, cloud-based data storage has gained popularity as a solution. Although proper identification is required, it improves privacy and stores data in the cloud, making it accessible from any device. Several well-known systems include Dropbox, Microsoft Cloud, and Google Drive. Although many cloud providers provide security solutions, these are frequently insufficient. In cloud systems, additional third-party solutions are required to defend against data breaches.

4. Mobile Security

Mobile devices like tablets and smartphones, which are frequently disregarded, have access to corporate data, putting firms at risk from phishing, malicious software, and zero-day vulnerabilities. Mobile security guards against these assaults and guards against rooting and jailbreaking devices' operating systems.

5. Internet of Things Security

Although deploying Internet of Things (IoT) devices undoubtedly increase productivity, it also exposes businesses to new online risks. Threat actors look for weak devices that are unintentionally connected to the Internet to utilise them for illicit purposes.

Why do you need Cyber Security and Security Maturity?

Now that you know what cyber security is and its types let Growth Jockey describe the need for cyber security and security maturity. No matter the size of the firm, cyber security is essential. Information is becoming digitised through wireless communication networks as a result of growing software and technology in a variety of industries, including government, education, healthcare, etc.

The purpose of cyber security maturity is to protect the data we provide to various companies, such as email, yahoo, and others, which include incredibly sensitive information that might harm both our reputation and ourselves. Attackers target both small and large businesses to steal their vital papers and data.

It is very important as you can fall under any of the following cyber-attacks and your organisation might take a big hit–

• Malware

• Ransomware

• Phishing

• Injection Attacks

• Social Engineering

• Supply Chain Attacks

Businesses throughout the globe are losing billions of dollars annually due to cybercrime. And the risk of cyberattacks only increases as our reliance on technology increases. You must have a cyber security maturity model in place if you want to safeguard your company from these attacks. A maturity model can assist you in determining where your company is weak and the actions you can take to strengthen your cybersecurity posture using information security procedures. Let us look at the various benefits of adopting a security maturity model –

1. capacity to evaluate an organization's preparedness for cybersecurity

2. spot any security shortfalls

3. create a plan for development

4. compare one's cybersecurity program with others

5. discern where an organization lies on the security scale

Cyber Security Maturity Assessment of your Organisation

Several variables affect how secure your organisation is in terms of cybersecurity. Your private and sensitive data should be kept private and secret using a variety of technical safeguards. The maturity of your organisation's security maturity depends on how it responds to all of these issues.

According to a report by Mckinsey most companies have not yet reached proper levels of security maturity. It finds that only 10% of companies have reached advanced security maturity levels.

1. Know Your Posture

The condition of an organization's capacity to thwart cyberattacks is reflected in its cyber security posture. The Cyber Security Posture Assessment covers assessing the network security and information security capabilities and resources of a business.

2. Why Should You Avail the Cyber Security Posture and Security Maturity Assessment?

• To evaluate certain gaps which can be fixed.

• To determine the sufficiency of chosen systems' security measures based on current and prospective risks.

• Creating a plan for enhancing the security level of the organisation.

• Employing an accepted approach for comparing the organisation's security maturity against industry norms.

3. Choose Your Security Maturity Model

A cyber security maturity model lays out a future course for your firm and allows it to regularly gauge its progress. This may be a useful tool for enhancing your cyber security initiatives as well as for speaking with senior management and obtaining the support you require.

• The Center for Internet Security Cyber Security Maturity Model (CMM)

CMM is a thorough set of policies, controls, automation, and reporting guidelines that, when followed, provide companies with the assurance that they are effectively managing cyber security and safeguarding themselves from a wide range of threats. This framework, which was initially created by the U.S. Department of Defense, offers a way to evaluate an organization's security maturity based on how well it performs certain controls.

• U.S Department of Energy’s Cyber security Capability Maturity Model (C2M2)

The C2M2 was created by the US Department of Energy for power and utility businesses, but it may be used by any company to assess the level of maturity of its cyber security capabilities.

• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Rather than serving as a model for cyber security, this US Department of Commerce initiative offers a cybersecurity framework that may be applied as one. Five stages of implementation are provided by the NIST cybersecurity architecture to help companies prevent, identify, and address cybersecurity risks.

How to Achieve Security Maturity?

Some pro tips from Growth Jockey to increase your organisation’s cyber security :

• Automates Security

Achieving a high degree of security maturity requires a significant amount of automation. Implementing automated solutions increases dependability, frees up security teams' time and resources, produces better reporting, and enables speedier response times.

• Adopting a Cyber Security Model

Many companies attempt to gauge their level of cybersecurity maturity by keeping track of the vulnerabilities they have fixed or by making sure all the necessary regulatory compliance boxes are checked**. A cyber security model** will offer a direction to go and a resource to use as a reference.

• Be Aware of Cyber Security

The cyber security posture of your company cannot be improved just by technology. Organizations must concentrate on creating a multi-layered defence in the face of the complexity and threat of cyberattacks. All workers and partners should get cyber security training, since it may help businesses create a "last line of defence" against many modern threats.

• Improve Continuously

Organizations could believe that if a high degree of security is attained, more efforts are not necessary. Organizations must continuously enhance their security measures since attackers are changing their strategies all the time.

Bottom Line

It takes time to increase your organization's cybersecurity maturity. However, it is necessary for survival given the rapidly changing digital environment and new cyber threats. Security intelligence furnishes users with the essential information and context essential for proficient decision-making, thus allowing them to spot and tackle vulnerabilities and dangers present on the network and associated endpoints. With these capabilities, organisations can move up the scale of security resilience, sure in the knowledge that they are securing sensitive assets and protecting their organisation to the highest standard possible.

Growth Jockey’s team of expert associates would deal with your security issues and could assess your organization's maturity in terms of security and make insightful recommendations.

At Growth Jockey, we are fully committed to providing tailored solutions that effectively tackle the crucial challenges in cloud and cyber security faced by our clients across diverse industries. Regardless of the size of your company, whether it's a small-scale enterprise or a large corporation, you can now leverage the advantages of advanced technologies in cloud and cyber security.

Take the decisive step towards unlocking the next level of growth and protecting your brand by contacting us today!