How can you keep up with the latest security threats and technologies?

In the modern Era on the Information highway, it is vital to ensure we maintain speed and agility to be abreast in keeping ourselves updated with the latest information on cybersecurity. The best thing to do is to have an internal team blog to have the main advisory feeds from (NIST, CIS,ENISA, CERT, etc) and having a team blog will ensure other members will too feed with new information making it an crossroads of latest information.

News-feeding perspective: - Keeping an eye on the Dark side, latest developments/trends; - Healthy relationship with vendors, collect the latest breakthroughs (not always the best or "louder" high tech) - Good incident pipeline, not only internal but also with interest groups (eg: CSIRT, discussion forums, SANS, CVE, etc) Be alert to new attack patterns/trends/behaviour - Periodical meetings with both network team,cyber-security team,etc - Accept and attend vendor seminars (Yes, they are there to sell, but in today's environment, the ones supporting frontline defensive solutions are more prone to detect a new kind of attack pattern, an emergent behaviour, etc). You will get acquainted and learn from them before it knock on Your door

Current time where AI and Quantum computing are in everybody's reach you need to be stay vigilant about the latest trends into the cybersecurity. With SaaS you can hire high computing power very cheap with which you can generate cyber attack very easily. Policies and regulations must be implemented and reviewed regularly. Training/awareness of the user are very important.

It can certainly be a challenge to keep on top of the constantly evolving threats. There are three keys to be successful staying ahead of the attackers and threats. Know your own assets, your attack surface which is the assets your expose to the outside world and know your vulnerabilities. Second, is use threat intelligence tools to give you more visibility. Open-Source Threat Intelligence (OSINT) is a great option for organizations with limited budget as they are free options. These include Shodan, NMap, The Harverster, Censys Search, Zoom Eye, AlienVault (OTX)and Recon-ng. Third, have an Enterprise Detection and Response (EDR)tool, Security Monitoring with a SIEM and have a Security Operations Center (SOC) monitoring threats 24/7.

Continuous monitoring process to be adopted and development of control library mapping all required standards and frameworks and develop standardized information questionnaires(SIG) for frequently risk assessment for all the applications and 3rd party and other threats areas.

Actualmente hay un exceso de información, lo complicado ya no es contar con la información, sino seleccionar lo que realmente necesitamos y usarla de forma adecuada . Sin embargo, en relación a las diferentes fuentes y recursos de información , es importante utilizar los más reconocidos de acuerdo a la especialidad; pero lo importante es no dejar de aprender .

Dark Reading, Krebs on Security, Threatpost, are some of the insightful publications one should follow however not blindly. The newsletters, blogs, podcasts etc. needs to be trustworthy and backed by thought leaders of the security community, writings of researchers and authors of books on cybersecurity.

My recommendation is not only to learn new things, but to commit to sharing. Many companies give 70% value to the experience acquired and the rest to the rest of the learning and this can also be shared with the best practices and mistakes that we have learned in our professional path. There should be no jealousy in sharing

In addition, determine your vulnerabilities in reference to the threats and after updating your risk assessment according, take action such as mitigation, transferring the risk, etc.

With the handheld devices much in use by each individual, while at home, office and on the move. It is a great opportunity to subscribe various feeds on LinkedIn and find out your local security leaders, take cues of what's happening locally to be part of security communities to be constantly updated with latest information. Take time in the weekends to attend a local security chapter meet, like ISC2, ISACA, CSA, Bsides and many other groups where you can openly speak with professionals to gain knowledge over networking.

For me, this is the best way to keep up with the latest security threats. Make sure to have a good mix of global online communities, as well as local peer groups, preferably ones that are highly active, and organize physical events for members. If you have a security certification from a recognized organization such as ISC2 or ISACA, local branches usually have great communities.

Also don’t forget your local security communities (in your country or even you city/department). They will help you to stay up to day with local regulations and laws, related to cybersecurity. Usually such organizations perform presentations, workshops on security topics etc. As an example, in France, there are at least CLUSIF, Adira, Club ISO27001 etc.

Find the ones that are most related to you and your career plan, including ASIS, OSAC, TAPA, GEMARC, etc. By the way, I am currently President of GEMARC, which is a non-profit association where we are the head of security where we share best practices.

Cybersecurity LinkedIn groups often post information about new threats and include suggestions on mitigating the risk. Join a group that is of interest to you and one that has a reputation for sharing timely information.

Online groups and forums dedicated to security are one of best ways to quench your thirst for security knowledge. Experts exchange knowledge in these events and it provides a great platform to ask questions, discuss the newest threats and innovations. Even if one is introvert, there is a good chance someone else would ask the question you intend to or was thinking about. Newest dangers and technologies are frequently discussed in presentations, workshops, and demonstrations at conferences like Black Hat, DEF CON, RSA Conference, and BSides.

Security Events are great platforms for enriching ones knowledge, also in networking with peers. Exchange of ideas can lead to wonder. However, my observation is, many do not attend such events as they may have a minimal fee. It is imperative that company considers this in their budget, not just for the leaders, but also for a beginner in the security domain

There are a number of free or low cost cyber conferences such as those by CDO Magazine and PECB. In addition, CDO Magazine, PECB Insights Magazine and US Cybersecurity Magazine are free to subscribe to their online version.

Another great area to keep up with is from the big players such as Microsoft, AWS and recently more with Google who have specific security coverage during product launches, deep dives and separate channels in collaboration with companies that they have bought in that space. Such as Wiz etc

Ensure to do your due diligence when choosing your tools that will have access to your systems. Ask to speak with one of their engineers before signing a contract for your organization. Ask for a month to do due diligence on the tools, enduring compatibility with your systems and allowing you to gain confidence in your choice before actually purchasing it.

Tools are certainly important, however, before investing on the latest available tool, the requirement needs to be detailed out & for that feedback should be sought from every level. Many organizations, do the mistake of using top down approach, while investing on a new tool, which later creates a barrier for those who would be working on them day in and day out. Also, Cost should not be the only criteria while investing in a tool.

The most effective way to keep yourself updated is improving your network and engaging continuously with key Security Forums, Government accounts, Security professionals & contributors, magazines etc. on multiple social media channels. Being part of local groups on WhatsApp, Telegram etc. helps gather regional intel. While these sources help with initial intel, there is a lot of research that needs to be done to get the complete picture. It is an ongoing process and one's level of engagement directly influences the understanding of current security trends and issues.