What are the best ways to respond to emerging IT security threats?

I couldn't agree more. I think the foundation of effective management of IT security threats is to assess the current posture of your organisation to gather a clear overview. This should be conducted throughout the organisation and not necessarily restricted to IT infrastructure but also consider the human factor. From there, you can effectively conduct risk analysis, compliance and policy implementation.

Spend your time and efforts not on trying to prevent an attack, but on identifying mission critical applications that need as close to immediate recovery as possible. Uptime post attack is the goal, while backups are combed through for data recovery.

I believe one of the best ways to start looking at information security of the organization is to use 'clause 4 of ISO 27001' that mentions to 'set context of the organization'. This means consider security requirements from all stakeholders (internal and external) and then work on designing the security strategy of the organization. In addition to ISO 27001 there are other standards in the same family as well as other frameworks that can be utilized while devising strategies and implementing relevant controls. In today's dynamic world, it is important that the security team should keep updating their knowledge about emerging risks, threats, etc. so that these can be addressed proactively by adopting suitable controls, practices etc.

Awareness-raising, awareness-raising and awareness-raising; human firewalls should be the first line of defense, and that requires providing short, animated training sessions and scheduling simulated attacks to measure the level of protection you're trying to achieve, the technical steps to follow....

Responding effectively to emerging IT security threats requires a comprehensive and proactive approach to awareness training. Conduct regular security awareness training for all employees, contractors, and stakeholders. This training should cover essential topics such as phishing, social engineering, password management, and safe browsing habits. No matter how many layers of security controls we place, if we don't focus on insider threats (deliberate or unintentional) then we are risking the whole IT infrastructure. Introduce gamified elements to your training, such as interactive quizzes, challenges, and simulations. This can make the learning process more engaging and effective.

Responding to emerging IT security threats requires a proactive and multi-faceted approach. By staying informed, conducting risk assessments, implementing a layered defense strategy, developing an incident response plan, regularly backing up data, educating employees, staying updated with software patches, and engaging with security experts, you can better protect your systems and data from evolving threats. Remember, cybersecurity is an ongoing effort that requires constant vigilance and adaptation to stay ahead of emerging threats.

Proactive security measures in Incident Response are essential for organizations to anticipate and counteract threats. Emphasizing CTI allows predictions of potential attack vectors, while continuous monitoring and centralized logging mechanisms flag unusual network activities. Actively seeking signs of malicious activities, enables organizations to detect potential threats early. Conducting regular IR drills clarifies team roles during breaches, moreover, by educating staff on cybersecurity best practices and collaborating on threat intelligence within the industry, organizations can both reduce human-related vulnerabilities and benefit from collective defense insights.

IT security depends upon business appetite. When a business wants to protect its assets only then the IT staff can play their role. Another problem is zero-level attacks which can't be avoided. Spoofing is another issue. Many of us are today victims of spoofed emails. Security attacks can also be minimized by educating the staff as well.

We need to put security first, and it starts with our people. Tech helps, but everyone needs to play their part. Train staff from day one, and keep the training going. Make it easy for them to speak up about security worries. Check our security methods often to find where we can do better. A team effort, from the top down and bottom up, is the key to a strong security culture.

Using proactive security tools can be of significant help. Particularly if they can be used to 'isolate' computers with a perceived security threat. For maximum benefit the proactive process should also simplify/ automate the collection of key details to aid the investigation of the perceived security threat. Additionally it should allow remote/ hands on access in an otherwise isolated configuration to aid investigation and resolution of the issue. That is the support team investigating the perceived security threat can access the identified computer. The computer being investigated is however isolated from the rest of the infrastructure, internet, etc., to prevent any potential spread of the security risk.

Every organization needs an incident response plan (IRP). It is less important for it to be complete and more important for you to get started. A two-page IRP might simply start with contact information for internal people/vendors, details on how to engage cyber insurance vendor on a claim and explain roles of people in your organization. Make sure someone is trained on incident handling and understands the various phases. You can add to your IRP over time as you should be testing periodically and making it better for evolving threats. Don't forget the power of good R&D. That is search the Internet for a plan that makes sense to you, Rip off the best parts of it and Develop for your organization. Get it, R&D?

The security incident plan is not meant to be a dead document. The plan should be regularly updated with the results of vulnerability evaluation exercises like ethical hacking, code analysis and other disciplines. It should also be discussed with the business in order to highlight potential business improvement areas and to raise the consciousness of security incidents, who and how they need to be addressed.

When crafting a security incident response plan, it's crucial to know what to exclude. Omit listing explicit technical settings, configurations, or passwords to avoid offering a potential exploit blueprint. Avoid unverified or outdated contact details that could lead to delays. Avoid boilerplate text from generic templates; every organization's needs are unique. While it's essential to provide actionable steps, avoid verbose theoretical explanations. Use objective language, without personal opinions. Ensure that third-party services or tools mentioned are vetted and confirmed. Clarity and relevance are paramount, so omit redundant, redundant or non-essential information: "Skip excess fluff; ditch the extra stuff!"

Your Security Incident Response plan ("SIRP") is NOT the sole responsibility of your IT staff/department! The SIRP should be discussed with Legal, C-Levels, Insurance and of course IT. Understand that in the case of SMB, your Cyber Liability Insurance company may dictate who, what and when a step occurs. However it is certainly important to have a SIRP in place to at least cover the time the incident is detected to the time insurance gets involved. The first steps in your SIRP (check with your carrier on their requirements) should be to (1) contain the threat and (2) contact your insurance company. Remember to assign someone to the job of managing the execution of the SIRP and ensure this role is assigned as people come/go in the company.

This is absolutely essential All staff members need to have training in identifying suspicious activities. As well as the initial steps to take if they feel their computer has been compromised, e.g. isolating the computer from the network, notifying support, etc., via a different computer/ telephone, etc. As part of this process staff members should be updated and refreshed with respect to security threats that they may encounter on an on-going/ regular basis. So that they are aware as to what to consider as being suspicious. An 'emergency' (non-computer) notification mechanism covering major security alerts, or to staff when a security incident is experienced and what to look out for/ report, should also be put in place.

NIST is awesome but can be a bit overwhelming for a smaller organizations. Since I mainly work with small and medium size businesses, I tend to prefer The Center for Internet Security, Inc. (CIS?) Critical Security Controls. It is a bit more prescriptive for people needing a little more direction and I like how the implementation groups help growing organizations prioritize their efforts, by efficacy. You can evolve into better as time, budget and resources allow.

Steve highlighted the CIS controls, which is user-friendly especially for SMBs. There's also ISO/IEC 27001, which offers a comprehensive information security management system. Then there's PCI DSS for card payment security and the UK's Cyber Essentials for foundational cybersecurity steps. COBIT is excellent for bridging IT and business goals including security and risk mitigation. SANS focuses on hands-on skills for IT security professionals. Also, for quantifying risk, FAIR offers a structured model for understanding and analysing risk in financial terms. Each framework has its strengths, so it's worth exploring them all to see which combination fits your organization's needs in terms of regulatory landscape and business objectives.

NIST CSF provides a structured guidance for the organizations to follow. The framework's emphasis on 'recover' and 'learn' encourages organizations to improve their response and recovery strategy continuously over time. Detect and Respond are the framework's core functions. Continuously monitoring your asset and network performance and usage to detect anomalies almost real time, and to have a solid recovery and business continuity plan in place are essential recommendations of these core functions. It works as a go to guide for cybersecurity professionals to ensure the completeness of their enterprise security strategy.

While NIST provides a great framework, each company should dedicate some time to evaluate and choose what frameworks to use in their specific area of business and depending on the size of their operations, but also on the severity of the risks they find in the analysis via threat modeling or security posture analysis. When most operations or mitigations suggested by a framework are not feasible or very expensive to hold in a company, it might be time to evaluate a different framework. What is important is, whatever framework is chosen, to be strict in following it and have clarity to discuss when implementers and designers of systems come to suggest changes in your security posture.

When involving external resources to manage and respond to security threats, it is important to consider several areas that might help you in the case an incident happens. One of the possible choices here would be to trust partners who align to tools that know the best the infrastructure and applications you have in your environment. If the partner has ties with the manufacturer, they would be more likely to have manufacturer support when an incident comes. It is also a good idea to have into your plan incident response services which are either pre-paid or paid for by an insurance company should you need them. The moment where an incident happens might prove challenging to take budgetary decisions if you have not planned ahead for this.

Before engaging external vendors or consultants, it's vital to conduct thorough due diligence. Check their reputation, ask for references, and ensure they have the necessary certifications. This vetting process is crucial to avoid introducing new vulnerabilities or risks. There are also data privacy concerns when involving third parties, be aware of where your data is going and who has access to it. Ensure that any external partner adheres to data privacy standards and that they understand your organisation's data handling and privacy policies. If you're relying on external incident response support, make sure you have well-defined SLAs in place. How quickly will they respond in the event of a security breach? Don't forget drills!

The best way is to externalise the management of the LAN to a professional one if the budget permits it. Anyway, security should be at top priority for any organisation where its business rely on IT solution

As part of your security incident plan, it is crucial to have discipline to evaluate findings, learnings and to involve them as improvement actions in the implemented infrastructure. This will help your company react faster and more properly to security threats, both when they are found and when they are (hopefully not) exploited by an attacker. Investing in machine-learning and AI-based security tools is a good idea as this will increase your response capability, however, keep in mind that AI-based conclusions need to be human-reviewed for accuracy, so bear in mind that you will need some resources for that.

Beyond the technical and procedural aspects, fostering a security-aware culture is paramount. Regular training sessions including mock drills, ensure everyone is always on their toes. It's not just about having protocols but ensuring they're second nature to your team. Engage with the larger cybersecurity community; collaborations and shared learnings help in understanding emerging threats. Lastly, be proactive, not just reactive. An ounce of prevention in cybersecurity is worth a pound of cure. Don't just wait for incidents; actively hunt for vulnerabilities.

1/3 Some key advantages of improving security capabilities for an organization: Data Protection: Enhancing security safeguards sensitive information from unauthorized access, reducing the risk of data breaches and leaks. Reputation and Trust: A strong security posture builds trust with customers and partners, preserving the organization's reputation and credibility. Compliance: Improved security aligns with regulatory requirements, helping the organization avoid legal penalties and fines. Business Continuity: Robust security measures prevent disruptions from cyberattacks, ensuring consistent operations even during potential threats. End 1/3

This is always needed, as security threats will evolve and adapt over time. The challenge is that 'old' security threats must also be considered. As thinking legacy threats do not need to be considered could, in certain circumstances, e.g. if you use any legacy systems, not considering old security threats could open up security 'back doors'. Additionally, you need to ensure your staff are both aware of security threats and what to look out for. So you need processes in place to help notify/ remind/ refresh staff members of security threats and how to identify and report, etc., them. Staff should be able to apply such knowledge at home as well as at work.

Any corporate/ home security solution should be comprised of multiple layers. These include effective authentication and authorisation, anti-virus (and monitoring, if available), firewall protection, etc. All of these layers need to support each other. They also need to be well managed and maintained. To ensure their validity and effectiveness over time. Staff members also need to be advised about security threats, how to identify security threats and what steps they should take, particularly if their work computer is believed to be experiencing a security threat. Security policies and procedures need to be regularly maintained, reviewed/ updated (and communicated) to ensure their continue to provide the best protection possible.

I believe that in addition to the security posture, it is necessary to implement and strengthen the security culture in the company: 1-Leadership engagement: Leaders must be examples and promoters of safety. 2-Creation of security policies: Establish clear and communicative guidelines. 3-Training and qualification of employees: Educate the team about safe practices. 4-Clear and effective communication: Inform about risks, procedures and preventive measures. 5-Constant monitoring and evaluations: Monitor performance and make adjustments when necessary. 6-Use of technologies: Modern tools can optimize security processes.

It's also crucial to promote a non-punitive environment where employees can report mistakes without fear. Many breaches grow because someone was too scared to admit a small error. Cybersecurity is an ongoing journey, not a destination. Threat landscapes evolve, and complacency is the enemy. Stay curious, stay updated, and always question the status quo.