The Ins and Outs of Cyber Hygiene

September 20, 2023
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Introduction

Predictions from Cyber Crime Magazine indicate that global cyber damage will soar to a staggering $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. In 2023 alone, cybercrime is projected to inflict $8 trillion in damages globally, positioning it as the third-largest economy, following the United States and China. This unprecedented economic impact exceeds the devastation caused by natural disasters in a single year. Astonishingly, it’s expected to be more profitable than the combined global trade of major illegal drugs. This alarming trend emphasizes the critical need to address and mitigate the growing threat of cybercrime, underlining the imperative of promoting cyber hygiene and fostering a culture of compliance to protect against these devastating financial losses.

Short video here from Cybersecurity Ventures.

Here are the key reasons emphasizing the criticality of cyber hygiene and a compliance-oriented culture, viewed from both technical and business standpoints. Additionally, we’ll explore how NP-View can serve as a valuable resource.

 

The Business Side:

1. Cost Savings and Efficiency:

  • Resource Optimization: Network Perception’s lightweight and effortless setup save both time and resources. It provides a complete network view without the need to install agents or write to the OT network, thereby reducing deployment and maintenance costs.
  • Operational Efficiency: With continuous assessment and visualization of the network, potential risks and misconfigurations are identified promptly, leading to faster resolution and minimizing potential downtime. This efficiency translates into cost savings and increased productivity.

2. Risk Mitigation and Compliance:

  • Proactive Security Measures: NP-View continuously monitors and assesses potential and active network changes, issuing alerts based on policy conditions. This proactive approach helps mitigate security risks, ensuring compliance with industry regulations and standards.
  • Enhanced Network Segmentation: By continuously assessing risks and vulnerabilities, NP-View assists in enhancing network segmentation, a critical aspect of cybersecurity. Proper segmentation isolates critical systems from non-critical ones, reducing the attack surface and enhancing overall security.

3. Business Continuity and Resilience:

  • Preventive Alerts: Network Perception’s proactive alerts on policy conditions enable organizations to identify and address potential security threats before they escalate, ensuring business continuity and minimizing potential financial losses resulting from cyber incidents.
  • Resilience Building: Continuous monitoring and mapping of the network contribute to building resilience against cyber threats. This resilience is vital for maintaining smooth operations in OT environments, which are often crucial to public safety and essential services.

4. Compliance Culture and Reputation:

  • Demonstrated Commitment to Compliance: Utilizing Network Perception showcases a commitment to cybersecurity best practices and compliance. This commitment fosters a culture of compliance within the organization, positively impacting the organization’s reputation and instilling trust among stakeholders.
  • Transparency and Trust: By demonstrating transparency in network management and security through NP-View, organizations build trust with their clients, partners, and regulators, potentially leading to enhanced business opportunities and partnerships.

The Technical Side:

Proactive Risk Mitigation: Cyber hygiene emphasizes being proactive rather than reactive in managing cybersecurity. Preventing issues through regular security assessments and penetration testing is more effective and less costly than dealing with the aftermath of a cyber incident. By maintaining ‘clean’ systems (free from malware, running updated software, and securely configured), organizations significantly reduce vulnerability to threats and attacks.

Criticality of OT Environments: Operational Technology (OT) environments play a foundational role in modern societies, controlling essential sectors like electricity grids, water treatment facilities, traffic management systems, and manufacturing plants. It is imperative to ensure the cybersecurity of these sectors through robust cyber hygiene practices, as any compromise could have severe consequences for public safety and everyday life.

Challenges and Limitations: OT cybersecurity presents unique challenges due to aging technology, limited qualified resources, complex control points, and the need for a well-defined cybersecurity and compliance program. Overcoming these challenges requires a comprehensive program structure and a uniform culture of compliance, reinforced by leadership at all levels of the organization.

Building Blocks of Cyber Hygiene: Several foundational pillars contribute to cyber hygiene in OT environments, including asset inventory, network mapping, and data flow diagrams. These provide a clear view of the entire OT infrastructure, aid in understanding the architecture, and help devise effective segmentation strategies to isolate critical systems from non-critical ones.

Audit Readiness and Compliance Culture: Effective cyber hygiene practices establish perpetual audit readiness, ensuring compliance with defined policies, processes, and procedures. A strong compliance culture is vital, encompassing the entire organization, from executives to front-line personnel, reinforcing the importance of cybersecurity and compliance as a priority.

Continuous Improvement and Adaptability: Effective cyber hygiene is not a one-time task but an ongoing commitment to continuous learning, periodic reviews, and a proactive approach to cybersecurity. As cyber threats evolve, so should the defenses and practices of organizations.

 

 

Read our latest Whitepaper on building a Cyber Hygienic Environment

If you want more insight, please contact us at sales@network-percpeption.com