What are the best practices for mitigating cyber threats in a facility?

1 Assess your risks

The first step to mitigate cyber threats is to identify and evaluate the potential risks that your facility faces. This involves conducting a comprehensive and systematic assessment of your facility's cyber assets, such as hardware, software, networks, data, and devices, and their interdependencies and vulnerabilities. You should also consider the external and internal factors that can affect your facility's cyber security, such as the regulatory environment, the industry standards, the organizational culture, and the human behavior. By assessing your risks, you can prioritize the most critical and likely scenarios and plan accordingly.

2 Implement controls

The second step to mitigate cyber threats is to implement appropriate controls to protect your facility's cyber assets and reduce the impact of a cyber incident. Controls can be classified into three categories: technical, administrative, and physical. Technical controls are the hardware and software solutions that prevent, detect, and respond to cyber attacks, such as firewalls, antivirus, encryption, backup, and recovery systems. Administrative controls are the policies and procedures that govern the access, use, and maintenance of cyber assets, such as passwords, authentication, authorization, audits, and training. Physical controls are the measures that secure the physical location and access of cyber assets, such as locks, alarms, cameras, and guards.

3 Monitor and update

The third step to mitigate cyber threats is to monitor and update your facility's cyber assets and controls regularly and proactively. This involves collecting and analyzing data from various sources, such as logs, alerts, reports, and feedback, to identify any anomalies, breaches, or weaknesses in your facility's cyber security. You should also review and update your facility's cyber assets and controls to ensure that they are compatible, compliant, and current with the changing technologies, regulations, and threats. By monitoring and updating your facility's cyber security, you can detect and resolve any issues before they escalate and cause more damage.

4 Communicate and collaborate

The fourth step to mitigate cyber threats is to communicate and collaborate with your facility's stakeholders and partners to enhance your facility's cyber security. This involves sharing information, best practices, and lessons learned with your facility's staff, management, customers, suppliers, contractors, and regulators to raise awareness, build trust, and coordinate actions. You should also establish and maintain relationships with your facility's peers, industry associations, government agencies, and cyber experts to exchange insights, resources, and support. By communicating and collaborating with your facility's network, you can leverage their expertise, experience, and influence to improve your facility's cyber security.

5 Test and improve

The fifth step to mitigate cyber threats is to test and improve your facility's cyber security continuously and systematically. This involves conducting regular and realistic tests and exercises to simulate different cyber scenarios and evaluate your facility's preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities. You should also collect and analyze feedback and data from your tests and exercises to identify and address any gaps, weaknesses, or opportunities for improvement. By testing and improving your facility's cyber security, you can measure your performance, validate your controls, and enhance your resilience.

6 Learn and adapt

The sixth and final step to mitigate cyber threats is to learn and adapt to the evolving cyber landscape and challenges. This involves staying informed and updated on the latest trends, developments, and best practices in cyber security, as well as the emerging threats, risks, and opportunities for your facility. You should also foster a culture of learning and innovation in your facility, where you encourage and reward your staff for acquiring new skills, knowledge, and ideas, and applying them to your facility's cyber security. By learning and adapting to the cyber environment, you can anticipate and respond to the changing needs, expectations, and demands of your facility and its stakeholders.