Most security programs today are reactive. We focus on events, alerts, and flashing screens. We swat at vulnerabilities that have already been exploited, like mosquitoes after forgetting to apply bug spray. Focusing on proactive security behaviors will relieve the constant pressure on
reactive teams.
Proactive security is not controversial, but it is misunderstood. Security programs have entire teams dedicated to proactive approaches, such as posture management, but both proactive teams (e.g., vulnerability risk management) and reactive teams (e.g., the security operations center) are overwhelmed.
The wide array of proactive solutions currently available adds to the confusion. Thanks to new acronyms and changing product definitions from vendors and industry influencers, a security leader's inbox resembles a word search more than an email. It is difficult to understand which solutions provide proactive or reactive solutions, or how or why they would benefit your program.
What security technologies can help your organization become more proactive? Here are some points to consider:
Is it risk-focused and able to be customized to address your organization’s specific risks? A risk-focused approach to security tool selection is important because it allows organizations to prioritize their security investments and focus on the tools that will have the biggest impact on reducing their risk. With so many different security tools available, and new ones emerging all the time, it can be difficult to know where to start. A risk-focused approach helps organizations to cut through the noise and focus on the tools that are most relevant to their specific needs.
Does it help me orchestrate remediations? Once you know what needs to be fixed, you need a process for doing it. This may involve opening tickets for remediation owners, but different workflows may be needed for different types of assets, risk levels, and timelines. Proactive security technology can help you automate remediation tasks, which can reduce the risk of vulnerabilities being exploited. However, it's important to be aware of other risks, such as availability and accessibility issues.
Does it help me prioritize my remediations? There are many factors to consider when prioritizing remediations, including asset context, threat likelihood, and exploitability. Proactive security technology should help you prioritize vulnerabilities based on these factors, as well as the strength and effectiveness of your compensating controls. This will give you a complete residual risk view for each vulnerability, so you can focus on fixing the most critical ones first.
Does it give me visibility into my organization's assets and their context? This is essential for understanding what needs to be protected and prioritizing remediations. Many organizations think they have a good inventory of their assets, but when asked for more details, they often admit that they don't know why some assets exist or who is responsible for them. Proactive security technology should give you visibility into all of your assets, including endpoints, cloud workloads, and code repositories, as well as important context such as who uses them and how.
Does it help me report on my proactive security program? Reporting is essential for tracking progress and identifying areas for improvement. Proactive security technology should help you report on the visibility of your assets, the completeness of your remediation prioritization strategy, and the status of your remediation efforts. This will give you a clear understanding of how your proactive security program is performing and where you can make adjustments.
Without clear answers to these questions, a new solution is likely not worth your time and money. Webcheck Security can help organizations focus their spending on the proactive solutions that will best address actual needs in a number of ways:
Risk assessment: Webcheck Security can conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify an organization's most critical assets and the threats that pose the biggest risk to those assets. This information can then be used to prioritize proactive security solutions.
Security Solutions Assessment: Webcheck Security can assess a wide range of proactive security solutions and recommend the ones that are most relevant to an organization's specific needs and risks.
Implementation Support: Webcheck Security can help guide organizations’ implementation of proactive security solutions that they select. This includes providing training to staff and helping to integrate the solutions with the organization's existing security infrastructure.
Webcheck Security's Team of experienced security professionals has a deep understanding of the latest threats and vulnerabilities, as well as the latest security solutions. This knowledge and expertise allows them to help organizations make informed decisions about their security investments.
Contact us today to discuss how we can help you best accomplish your security objectives.