The Importance of Preventive Care in Cybersecurity
If I told you that I went to the doctor five years ago for a physical and blood work, most people would think that was insane and question whether I was really healthy. Let’s face it—a lot has changed in five years. The reason we go to the doctor for a yearly physical is because everyone knows that preventive medicine is a far better approach than detective medicine. The same goes for cyber health.
Cybersecurity Requires the Same Vigilance
While many people understand this with their physical health, most companies forget about this when it comes to their cyber health. I often hear from companies, “We implemented a firewall and did a security audit three years ago and cannot figure out why or how we got compromised.” The reality is simple: just because you were secure several years ago does not mean you are secure today.
The Changing Landscape of Cyber Threats
Cybersecurity comes down to an interesting balance between threats and vulnerabilities. Since these are always changing, a cybersecurity program must always be evolving.
An Example of Proactive Cyber Health
Let me give a quick example. Three years ago, a company could have had a vulnerability in its network, but at the time, it was not on critical systems, so the impact was low. Based on how adversaries attacked systems, there was no real threat. Today, the organization installed a new database on that system, so now the impact is high and the threat vector has changed. Now there is a high likelihood of a threat, and guess what happens? A system that had a vulnerability and did not get compromised for three years is now compromised with a massive ransomware attack that costs the company over $5 million. If they had been proactive and spent $100,000 on an assessment, they could have avoided the attack.
The Need for Proactive Assessments
In cybersecurity, visibility is key, and being proactive is the best way to minimize damage and impact to an organization. Many companies claim they can perform assessments but are merely checking boxes or running third-party software by junior engineers.
My Approach to Cybersecurity
I was a professional hacker for the CIA and have worked in cyber for 30 years. I have a unique gift for seeing patterns and understanding how adversaries think and act. When I perform an assessment, I do not run third-party tools that you could easily do yourself. Instead, I go in-depth to understand your business, your operations, and your technology. I combine that with my in-depth knowledge of the threat landscape and adversary behavior to create a customized roadmap that will allow you to stay one step ahead of threats.
If you are concerned about your business, want to better understand the threats, or need an independent assessment of your security, DM me, and let’s have a conversation.