Cybersecurity Is an Enterprise-wide Concern
Cybersecurity is no longer just about data security. It is about the integrity and defense of all points of digital exposure that introduce risk into your organization. A breach could come from anywhere, and the risk spreads as fast as the digital technology we crave complicating a situation that is uncertain at best.
Almost all corporate strategies bring sweeping cybersecurity implications. Changes that introduce new partners, vendors or suppliers are especially vulnerable.
Cybersecurity protections should be incorporated as early as possible, given the cycle time needed to build out adequate security measures. These considerations must be included in multi-year cyber roadmaps as well as all corporate strategies. Otherwise, companies find themselves in a perpetual state of cybersecurity catch-up, which carries its risks.
Ongoing Processes Need Constant Attention
We can never let our guard down, and our cyber adversaries leave us no choice but to take a long view. The reality is that cybersecurity is more of a lifestyle or continuous event.
Budgets are not the problem. Infosec budgets seem healthy, but how to invest? That is the bigger issue. One should not get too comfortable and expect ever-increasing, unlimited budgets. Escalating spending sometimes sends the message that nothing is working, so smarter, more effective use of budgets goes a long way.
Corporate Governance Puts Leaders at Risk
Traditionally boards and senior management have been oriented around oversight and protection of 20th-century assets like plants, capital, and equipment. In the 21st century, digital assets like data, networks, and software contribute a substantial and ever-increasing proportion of business value.
The governance and protection of these assets and acting in the interests of shareholders require comprehensive knowledge of the effects of threats, risks, vulnerabilities, and capabilities. Details of these effects inform us of how each variable can be managed to reduce exposure. Quantified analytics can support the decision-making that safeguards your business from cyber threats.
The Language of Compliance
All companies must comply with regulatory mandates of some kind. Every state in the United States now has Cybersecurity regulations along with overarching national regulations from HIPAA, PCI, SEC, and others. In Europe, the European Union Agency for Network Information Security (ENISA) has and is releasing regulations which impact any company which conducts business in or with Europe. These requirements include aligning with the expectations and language of regulatory frameworks, standard analytics, and auditor controls. Leaders need to trace decisions, strategies, and priorities back to mandated compliance requirements. Thus, company boards and executives need a cyber risk calculation engine that is designed to align with regulatory language.
Vulnerability Analytics — Quantify Risk as You Go
The problem remains. How do you anticipate the impact of something you do not know? No one can predict what will happen, but you can calculate the possible financial outcomes of different possibilities. Understanding the financial meaning behind your options lets you prioritize and invest with greater confidence and precision.
The Mathematics of Cybersecurity —Quantification of Risk and Prioritization of Investment
Until we can quantify risks and risk mitigation choices, corporate boards, C-Suite members, and other senior leaders cannot fully see the impact of their cybersecurity programs, much less think about prioritizing investments.
One way to prioritize a cybersecurity investment is to look at quantified data about its possible outcomes. A valuation engine collects and examines your choices, and this is where the math comes in, as the calculation engine churns out enough of the right financial cyber risk analytics. Quantification of the financial impact, followed by prioritization of mitigation efforts, gives organizational leadership substantially more benefit from their cybersecurity investments.
A Comprehensive Analytics Approach
PeriCertum utilizes Thrivaca™ (an Arx Nimbus product) to gain a level of understanding about your threat landscape and looks at how to distribute risks. Calculations use cyber threat intelligence to do “what if” probabilities and show what happens if you enhance one area over another. It identifies pre-emergent threat activity, and vulnerability matching provides targeted, quantifiable choices based on risk valuation.
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