What do you do if your IT Operations face cybersecurity risks?

Controls are essential for managing risks effectively. Begin by quantifying the risk through a thorough assessment. If feasible, apply immediate remediation measures such as patches. Otherwise, adopt a Defense in Depth policy to establish multiple layers of controls. Ensure access to the resource is restricted to secure channels and review access logs to remove unnecessary entries. Quantifying the risk helps in communicating its significance to stakeholders. If dealing with an End-of-Life product, create a replacement plan. Finally, review existing policies and procedures for necessary updates.

The first step always is a risk assesment, it can help to priorize how to deal with risks and determine what is the Best strategy to mitigate them

Upon encountering cybersecurity risks in IT operations, we prioritize a measured response. First, a comprehensive risk assessment identifies the specific threats. We then conduct threat modeling to understand potential attack vectors. This combined analysis allows us to prioritize effective remediation and treatment strategies, ensuring both Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) are met. This proactive approach strengthens our security posture and minimizes downtime in the face of cyber threats.

Third party Risk Assessment 1. VA Vulnerability Assessment 2. PT Penetration testing 3. Creat Risk Register based on Reports / data produced by above. 4. Define risk score criteria based on chances of occurances and potential impact. 5. Quantify Risks by risk score 6. Mitigation as defining Response of each risk (Response plan)

Risk assessments are a trade-off where the stakeholders must decide how much risk they will tolerate against the costs in tools, training, and disruption of mitigating the risks. It is your job as the IT Operations or Cybersecurity expert to provide summaries of your risks and mitigation options and prepare deep analysis of your research for the appropriate stakeholders.

I cannot say enough about patching your systems, from end-points to switches, firewalls, and servers. Patch the OSes, patch the apps, patch your drivers, patch it ALL. If you have internally developed apps or tools, set up a sandbox to make sure they will still work as expected with the latest versions of everything. The last thing you want is to break an important tool because you made it safe from exploits. Another thing is to ensure your endpoints get rebooted regularly, so they apply the latest updates. Some staff may not like rebooting because it will disrupt their work, so it is important to use automated reminders that become more and more inconvenient until they restart their system.

Updates are critical and must be monitored and managed carefully , software updates and patches developed to encounter new threats and vulnerabilities reported by user community and detected by researchers.

Updates are very critical so below should be followed: 1. Patch Management: Keep software, operating systems, and applications up to date. Patch known vulnerabilities promptly. 2. Access Controls: Review and enhance access controls. Limit privileges to essential personnel. 3. Password Policies: Enforce strong password policies and multi-factor authentication (MFA).

It's common for all organization that some business critical application running on legacy OS like Windows NT. This applications need to be placed in segmented IP. Datacenter segmentation is critical for information security. Updating protocols means upgrading application in general but is not realistic always.

Employee training and updating with latest cybersecurity threats is critical for all organization. Nobody should say that nothing will happen to me. Training should be organized with videos and movies as much as possible rather texts so that people can understand very well.

User awareness and trainings is mandatory and testing user behaviour by sending mock phishing emails. 1. Emails to make awareness 2. Online training portals 3. Sharing updated news like known vulnerabilities, zero day attacks and big security beaches. 4. Test and score user awareness. 5. Give some Reward based on test score. 6. User Training and scoring should be mandatory if not done then user email , internet or other facility should be blocked for some period of Time.

Training or Awareness should be mandatory in every organization or organizations should opt this during the Employee Induction as well. Also, below to be followed: 1. Security Awareness: Regularly train employees on cybersecurity best practices. Cover topics like phishing, social engineering, and safe browsing. 2. Simulated Attacks: Conduct simulated phishing exercises to test employee readiness. 3. Reporting Channels: Ensure employees know how & where to report security incidents.

I cannot stress how important employee training is, and it has to be engaging for your employees to actually learn from the training. You can do all the patching, assessment, & investigation that you want, but unless your users are trained in what to watch out for, what to avoid & how to react, they will always be your weakest link. The majority of the issue I've had to remediate have started from an user, usually because their curiosity got the better of them. Run simulations, give engaging talks, have a public open line of communication where everyone can ask & contribute. This isn't something that should be done once a year, but frequently throughout the year, because the bad actors are constantly finding new ways to pique curiosity.

Incident response is a methodical approach to managing and addressing the aftermath of a security breach or cyber-attack, also known as an incident. The objective of incident response is to handle the situation by limiting the damage, reducing recovery time and costs, as well as preventing similar incidents in the future. So, below should be followed: 1. Plan Ahead: Develop an incident response plan. Define roles, responsibilities, and communication channels. 2. Incident Classification: Categorize incidents (e.g., data breaches, malware outbreaks) and respond accordingly. 3. Containment and Eradication: Swiftly contain incidents and eradicate threats.

Além disso, é importante ter um plano de comunica??o eficaz para informar as partes interessadas internas e externas sobre o incidente e as a??es tomadas. A colabora??o com o cliente também é crucial para definir expectativas sobre tempos de resposta e caminhos de escalonamento adequados em caso de interrup??es significativas do servi?o

??Establish an Effective Incident Response Plan: Create a detailed roadmap that details steps to follow in case of a cybersecurity breach. ??Define Clear Detection and Reporting Procedures: Establish a structured process to identify and report security incidents promptly. ??Define Roles and Responsibilities: Ensure that all team members understand their specific tasks in the event of a security breach. ??Conduct Regular Drills and Simulations: Emphasize the importance of immediate and synchronized efforts to minimize damage and restore service continuity promptly. ??Emphasize Quick and Coordinated Action: Highlight the importance of quick and synchronized efforts to mitigate breach impact and restore operations effectively.

An effective incident response plan is crucial for addressing cybersecurity breaches swiftly and effectively. In my role as a CTO, I developed and refined such a plan, focusing on clear roles and proactive measures, including regular drills that ensure our team's readiness and coordination. This structured approach not only minimized the impact of incidents but also significantly improved our recovery time, enabling a rapid return to normal operations. This experience highlighted the importance of preparedness and regular practice in maintaining robust cybersecurity defenses.

Recovery plan is a strategic framework that outlines the steps and procedures to be followed in the event of a cyber-attack or data breach. Its purpose is to minimize the impact and downtime caused by such incidents and expedite the recovery process. Here are key points about a cybersecurity recovery plan: 1. Backup Strategy: Regularly back up critical data using 3-2-1 Backup Strategy. Also, test data restoration procedures. 2. Business Continuity: Develop business continuity and disaster recovery plans and ensure IT systems can recover quickly. 3. Communication Plan: Outline how to communicate with stakeholders during a crisis.

??A disaster recovery plan (DRP) outlines how an organization will respond effectively to an unplanned incident and resume business operations. ??Business continuity: Prioritize maintaining operations during and after an attack to prevent revenue loss. ??Data protection: Secure sensitive data throughout the incident to minimize loss and ensure backups occur. ??Loss minimization: Minimize financial, legal, and reputational losses during the incident. ??Communication: Establish clear lines of communication internally and externally to stakeholders. ??Restoration: Detail the process of returning operations to normal after the incident. ??Improvements: Record incident details to enhance incident prevention and recovery procedures in the future.

Upon encountering cybersecurity risks in IT operations, a structured and proactive approach is essential. I've developed effective strategies, such as comprehensive risk assessments and threat modeling, to understand and prioritize potential attack vectors. This preparation allows for targeted remediation and strengthens the overall security posture, ensuring critical Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) are achieved, minimizing downtime and enhancing system resilience against cyber threats.

Proactive monitoring is a strategy in which IT teams actively identify and address potential issues within IT infrastructure and applications before users notice and complain. Here are the key points: 1. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): Implement SIEM tools to monitor logs and detect anomalies. 2. Threat Intelligence: Stay informed about emerging threats. Subscribe to threat feeds. 3. Behavioral Analytics: Monitor user behavior for unusual patterns.

??Consistent monitoring of network traffic, logs, and system activities mean continuously observing your IT systems to detect potential threats early on. ??Implement security controls such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), intrusion prevention systems (IPS), encryption, access controls, and regular security updates. ??Employ advanced security tools and SIEM/CTI/AI/ML solutions capable of recognizing suspicious activities in real time, so that you can stay ahead of cyber threats.

1st and foremost, if you haven’t been hit, chalk it up to luck. No one is safe from exploitation. The steps laid out above are essential and should be part of your operations bible of SOP. The one area that needs more focus is in the area of social or internal exploitation. There are articles, white papers, books and numerous experts in the field that can help, but in my opinion all other of the technical vulnerabilities can be mitigated by following the advice above. Protecting yourself from people who have a level of trust is almost an impossibility.

You can summarise few task list : 1. Assess the situation. 2. Alert the team. 3. Implement security measures. 4. Provide training and awareness. 5. Monitor systems. 6. Collaborate with security experts. 7. Review and update policies. 8. Develop an incident response plan. 9. Maintain communication and transparency. 10. Continuously improve cybersecurity posture. 11. Backup and recovery. 12. Strengthen access controls. 13. Manage vendor risks. 14. Share threat intelligence. 15. Conduct regular security audits. 16. Perform incident simulation exercises. 17. Ensure legal and regulatory compliance. 18. Consider cyber insurance. 19. Educate and train employees. 20. Obtain executive leadership support.

If your IT operations face cybersecurity risks, it's crucial to take immediate action to mitigate and address the threats effectively: - Assess all aspects of the situation - Implement appropriate security measures - Educate employees about cybersecurity best practices & the importance of maintaining security 'hygiene' - Develop & regularly update an Incident Response Plan - Implement continuous monitoring & analysis of the IT infrastructure - Consider engaging cybersecurity experts or partnering with reputable cybersecurity firms - Regularly review & update your organization's cybersecurity policies and procedures

In response to cybersecurity risks in IT Operations, prioritize proactive measures. Conduct thorough risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities and potential threats. Implement robust security protocols, including encryption, firewalls, and multi-factor authentication, to safeguard systems and data. Regularly update software and systems to patch known vulnerabilities. Provide comprehensive cybersecurity training for employees to enhance awareness and promote best practices. Partner with cybersecurity experts or firms to leverage specialized knowledge and resources. Establish incident response plans to mitigate the impact of security breaches and ensure a swift and coordinated response.

IT operational risk management involves identifying, analyzing, and mitigating risks associated with an organization’s IT systems and infrastructure. It’s a continuous process that monitors and addresses potential risks to IT operations. By proactively managing risks, you protect against potential dangers that could lead to severe financial losses or reputational harm. IT risk management is critical for organizations of all sizes. Remember, effective IT operational risk management is essential for maintaining a secure and resilient IT environment. Stay vigilant, update security protocols, and collaborate with experts to mitigate risks and protect your organization’s digital assets .