Cybersecurity Essentials for 2022
This post is a high-level overview of the most critical aspects of cybersecurity from a strategic viewpoint. You can expect to read an explanation about how to protect your systems from software vulnerabilities, what steps you should take when hiring developers and retaining talent, and how to manage third-party supply chains for hardware components.
Cybersecurity Essentials for 2022
Below are business and financial sector cybersecurity essentials for 2022:
- Boundary Firewalls and Internet Gateways.
A firewall is a network security system designed to protect computer networks and systems from Internet threats, improper access, and IP address spoofing. It is a term used for a device or collection of configured devices to prevent unauthorized access or limit unintended exposure or disruption to the business network. The term is also used colloquially to refer to routers serving as firewalls, although such routers are aware of only link-level traffic. A managed EDR approach is essential to stop hackers.
A gateway is a networking device that connects two or more networks. It may be used to separate internal networks from the internet and provide access to one or more external networks.
- Secure Configuration Management.
In software development, configuration management (CM) is a type of systems management that coordinates the activities of system administrators and software developers to ensure the availability and reliability of an application or system, consists of establishing and following operational procedures for updating software or for monitoring and reporting on such activities. The general configuration management principles are described in phases 1 to 4 / 2 to 5. The CM manual of the development project should contain a section on configuration management, including contact details and what the configuration management covers.
Software is constantly evolving and changing, with new features being added or removed. Keeping track of these changes is crucial to keep your software secure and ensure your programmers follow best practices. Automation can help with configuration management, but it often isn’t enough by itself.
- Access Control.
This is a crucial feature of the SDLC to ensure good security practices are followed. When a person is granted access to a system, they automatically can do things on that system. For example, if you give someone your car keys and then ask them not to go home or use them in an unauthorized way, this is access control.
The principle applies to every system. If you open a web browser, you have access to all the websites. If you are given some rights on a system, you can do everything allowed for your authorization level. The principle of access control is essential to ensure a certain level of security. The principle should be included in the security plan and implementation manual.
- Malware Protection
Malware protection should be a routine part of any managed EDR solution. After all, malware is the single most significant cause for lost or stolen data and the biggest expense for most organizations. Modern malware comes in many forms, some of which can erase your hard disk drive, steal your personal information and send it to third parties, disable security settings on your computer, spam e-mail accounts (or even create false ones), and download viruses onto your machine. Hackers often use malicious software on your computer to gain access to other systems within a company network.
- Patch Management
Maintaining a secure network is challenging; the increased release of new software and hardware, the constant growth of mobile devices, and the proliferation of connected systems have created new vulnerabilities. At the same time, cyber-criminals continue to develop and use sophisticated security exploits to break into networks and steal data.
The development and deployment of patches, service packs or updates constitute a necessary protection mechanism for hardware and software. However, patch management processes are complex and often overlooked by technical and non-technical personnel. Every organization must manage its patches in a structured way to minimize security risks.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity is a highly complex issue, and we cannot predict the exact direction that it will take in 2022. What we do know, however, is that if you are not thinking about the security of your business, then you are missing out on a huge opportunity. Cyber solutions will be available to everyone in the coming years, and those who get there first will reap the rewards.
HedgeThink.com is the fund industry’s leading news, research and analysis source for individual and institutional accredited investors and professionals
