When the epidemic struck, businesses worldwide were forced to transition to remote labour almost immediately. The hybrid workplace is growing more comprehensive as the vaccine deployment continues. Employees can work from home or in the office, or split their time between them. According to Accenture, about 65% of large organizations have chosen a hybrid approach, and most employees prefer it. On the other hand, a scattered workforce has its own set of issues. The rise in cybercrime is one of the essential worries of IT leaders worldwide. Since the pandemic outbreak, experts believe that cybercrime has increased by over 300%. As a result, relying on a single basic security solution will be ineffective in the face of sophisticated attack vectors. This is where a strategy like Defense in Depth (DiD) becomes applicable.
What is Defense in Depth (DiD)
Defense in Depth (Did) is a cybersecurity strategy that layers various defensive mechanisms to safeguard a company. Because no security measure can ensure that it will withstand every attack, combining multiple levels of security is more effective. The National Security Agency (NSA) first conceived this layering approach and is inspired by a military tactic of the same name. In the military, layers of defence help buy time. However, in IT, this approach is intended to prevent an incident from occurring in the first place. It is critical to distinguish DiD from another cybersecurity concept known as layered security. While layered security employs various security products to address a specific security aspect, such as email filtering. DiD is more comprehensive and uses multiple security measures to address distinct threats affecting the entire IT infrastructure.
How a Managed Service Provider (MSP) can Help You Defend Against New and More Sophisticated Threats
While DiD is critical for protecting your company from evolving cyber threats, it is a time-consuming process that requires extensive knowledge and experience. Working with an MSP can help to simplify the process, reduce stress, and reduce the possibility of error. DiD can be divided into three security control main areas as follow:
- Administrative Controls apply to a company’s policies and procedures. These safeguards ensure that appropriate guidance is available and that security policies are adhered to. Examples include data processing, employee onboarding protocols or hiring practices, information security policies, vendor risk and third-party risk, management frameworks, information risk management strategies, etc.
- Technical Controls apply to hardware or software designed to protect systems and resources. Examples include Configuration management, disk/data encryption, firewalls, identity authentication (IAM). intrusion detection systems (IDS). Security awareness training, virtual private networks (VPNs), and other technical controls are examples of technical controls.
- Physical Controls include anything aimed at physically limiting or preventing access to IT systems. Some examples are fences, keycards/badges, CCTV systems, and locker rooms.
Elements of an Effective Defense in Depth Strategy
An MSP will assist you in implementing all elements of an effective DiD strategy to reduce the likelihood of threats infiltrating through the cracks. These components are as follows:
- Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): EDR solutions constantly monitor endpoints to detect suspicious or malicious behaviour in real-time.
- Firewalls: A firewall is a security system that consists of hardware or software that protects your network by filtering out unnecessary traffic and preventing unauthorized access to your data.
- Intrusion Prevention and Detection Systems: These systems scan the network for anything out of the ordinary. If a potentially dangerous activity is detected, it will notify stakeholders and prevent attacks.
- Network Segmentation: When you divide your company’s network into smaller units, you can monitor data traffic between them and protect them from one another.
- Patch Management: Unattended security gaps caused by poor patch management can expose your company to cyberattacks. To avoid exploitation, deploy new patches as soon as they are available.
- Strong Passwords: Poor password hygiene, such as using default passwords such as “1234” or “admin”. Poor passwords can put your company at risk. Using the same password for multiple sites is also dangerous. To keep your tabs safe from hackers, use strong passwords and an extra layer of security by employing practices such as multifactor authentication (MFA).
- The Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP): The principle is a cybersecurity concept in which a user is only given the access/permissions required to complete their task.
Don’t be concerned if you’re unsure where or how to implement a DiD strategy for your company. We’re here to make things as simple as possible. Contact us to start the process of making your organization more secure.
KBE Information Security is one of the top cyber security companies in Toronto providing information security services against new and more sophisticated malware and other cyber threats that pose a risk to the integrity of your business network and data. With an effective DiD strategy in place, you can respond to incidents in a timely manner and keep control of your network.
Recent Comments