Are you reactive or proactive with your company’s security?

It is true that the physical security of our company is very important, but in this case we are referring to the security of confidential corporate information and personal data necessary for the operation of the company (data of customers, employees, job applicants, etc.).

Within this framework, we can adopt two paths for the security of our organization when it comes to cyber-attacks:

Reactive or Proactive

We will then talk about the strategy of Reactive Security and Proactive Security in any entity.

Reactive Security

Reactive security consists of applying defense measures against cyber-attacks and improving them if they have been ineffective, thereby reducing vulnerabilities.

Thus, reactivity is focused on defending ourselves and in case this has been insufficient, we try to solve it as soon as possible after analyzing the causes, in order to strengthen those defenses.

Let us remember that technology in general, and cybercrime in particular, is undergoing continuous evolution and a dizzying speed of change.

What measures will we adopt in a reactive security model?

The measures that we can adopt in this reactive security model are:

Vulnerability analysis

It is about analyzing the security weaknesses in the information system of any organization.

Updating of all systems:

Updating the operating system, antivirus, firewall and other defense tools will help to detect a cyberattack and even neutralize it.

Business continuity plan:

If our defenses against cyber-attacks fail, we must have a plan to bring the company to a standstill for the shortest possible time. We need a Business Continuity Plan.

It can be said that these measures, while very important, are those taken to defend against more traditional attacks. But relying on these measures alone can be a big mistake.

Proactive Security

Proactive security aims to prevent incidents by identifying vulnerabilities before they are identified by cybercriminals or the risk is internal and the effects unintended.

In short, prevention is everything.

What measures will we adopt in a proactive security model?

Some of these proactive measures include:

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

These tools monitor the entries in our organization’s network and control the transfer of data between internal and external users.

Pentesting:

We will create fictitious situations where we will face a crisis situation that we must solve. This is the so-called ethical hacking, where you attack yourself (in a controlled manner, of course) to identify the vulnerabilities of our organization, which will become the attack channels in a real situation.

Threat hunting:

It involves looking for vulnerabilities in the enterprise, and artificial intelligence is often used to detect threats in an automated manner.

Zero trust:

Each time the system is accessed, a verification will be required, since the distrust towards the user is total.

Endpoints:

It combines a traditional antivirus with other tools that monitor possible attacks, mainly when computers are used remotely, outside the company (teleworking).

Cybersecurity training:

All these measures must be accompanied by training, sensitization and awareness-raising actions for people with access to data and the users of our information system, because if the end user (us) does not know how to apply proactive measures, we will be limiting the positive effects of these measures.

Download the Free Cybersecurity Awareness Kit and prevent cybercriminals from succeeding (“INCIBE” password to open downloaded documents).

What to do in case of a cyber-attack?

Contact INCIBE through the INCIBE Cybersecurity Helpline (017), WhatsApp (900 116 117) and Telegram (@INCIBE017) instant messaging channels, or the contact form for companies. Experts in the field will resolve any online conflict related to the use of technology and connected devices.