What do you do if your business is struggling with outdated Information Security practices?

To begin, it is essential that we establish effective communication channels with business owners to gain a comprehensive understanding of the business and its revenue generation mechanisms. This will facilitate the identification of critical business functions and processes. This input should be mapped to the IT systems. Subsequently, we will be able to pinpoint the locations where critical data is stored and processed, i.e., the critical assets. Consequently, we will be well-positioned to conduct a thorough and meaningful risk assessment.

To effectively conduct risk assessment or management, it is important to follow a framework that governs this operation and defines a roadmap for the process cycle. One such crucial framework is defined by NIST SP 800-53. The Risk Management Framework (RMF) establishes principles and guidelines that an organization must adhere to manage risks effectively. The risk shall be monitored continuously to update your security controls to mitigate discovered risks.

When assessing the risks, it's essential to consider both internal and external factors that could impact your information security. Internal factors may include outdated software or hardware, lack of employee awareness or training, and insufficient access controls. External factors may include the evolving threat landscape, regulatory changes, and third-party vulnerabilities. It's also important to involve key stakeholders from across the organization in the risk assessment process. This includes IT, security, legal, compliance, and business leaders who can provide valuable insights and perspectives on the risks and priorities.

When non-recommended practices are identified within an organization, we primarily need to assess the risk that these actions have in terms of generating exploitable vulnerabilities for the company. It is not enough to say that it is a risk, we must highlight why this can affect business continuity and the security of the organization's image in several ways.

If your business is struggling with outdated Information Security practices, it's essential to take proactive measures to modernize and strengthen your security posture. Start by conducting a thorough security assessment to identify areas of weakness and prioritize improvements. Develop a comprehensive modernization plan that includes updating technologies, revising policies and procedures, and investing in employee training. Implement modern security technologies and solutions, establish a security-aware culture, engage with security experts, and regularly assess and update your security practices to address evolving threats.

Plan Upgrade is the best practices to follow in the case. This involves assessing current vulnerabilities, identifying areas of improvement, and creating a roadmap for implementing necessary changes. This approach will ensure that one's security measures align with the latest threats and industry best practices, safeguarding one's business against potential risks in the long term.

it's importanr to prioritize the risks based on their potential impact and likelihood. Focus on addressing the most critical and urgent risks first, while also considering the cost-benefit analysis of each solution. Look for technologies and practices that provide the most value and protection for your specific needs and constraints.

Once the risk has been identified and highlighted, we must begin planning actions to correct the points. In this context, it is necessary to generate visibility of the impact and probability of incidents occurring, to generate a prioritization of necessary actions. There are many times when CVSS 9.8 may be critical for one environment, but not for another, and this must be taken into consideration when updating resources.

After doing assessment, then come up with upgrade strategy. In this case, look into ways which you may perform upgrade, test the upgrade on small set and expected result and then plan for larger upgrade. The plan should include deadlines and expected outcome of each activities.

Align with well-established frameworks or standards. By doing so, not only can you bring your security controls up to date but you can keep them up to date as they themselves mature.

During the risk assessment process, you shall prioritize risks according to their criticality. In a critical business, there shall be a staging environment to test changes before inserting them into the production environment. You shall take a backup for a configuration and be ready for any rollback process as in some cases system upgrades result in disrupting the system.

it's essential to have a clear and detailed project plan that outlines the steps, timelines, and responsibilities for each task. This plan should include risk mitigation strategies and contingency plans to address potential issues or delays. Regularly communicate the progress and updates to all stakeholders to maintain transparency and alignment. ensure that you have adequate resources and support in place throughout the implementation process. This includes technical expertise, vendor support, and employee training. Provide your staff with the necessary tools, documentation, and guidance to effectively use and maintain the new security systems.

The two previous stages of risk modeling and construction of an execution schedule are essential for the implementation of these changes to be objective and assertive. We must ensure that all activities are mapped and that those responsible are assigned, with the aim of not generating impacts on the operation, and that all tests can be carried out after an action.

it's important to tailor the content and delivery to your specific audience and needs. Use a mix of formats, such as in-person sessions, online modules, and simulations, to engage different learning styles and preferences. Make the training relevant and practical by using real-world examples and scenarios that your employees can relate to. Consider implementing a tiered training approach, where different levels of training are provided based on the employee's role and responsibility. Encourage a culture of security by recognizing and rewarding employees who demonstrate good security behaviors and report potential incidents.

It is important that security improvements are carried out and demonstrated by professionals who have skills and that they can be shared among the entire team and organization. In this sense, the more we have a widespread culture of the importance of security in the business context, the greater our protection and monitoring surface will be.

Everyone has a responsibility for security, it applies in every job high and low in some shape or form so train your people, make sure they understand their responsibilities, and give them the knowledge and tools they need to suceeed.

Monitoring solutions will always be the first aspect to consider to maintain a secure environment and identify potential threats in an environment. From monitoring a SIEM correlating events, to network monitoring and application calls to study behavior deviations that indicate threats.

It is essential to establish clear roles and responsibilities for who will be responsible for monitoring, investigating, and responding to potential incidents. Use automated tools and technologies, such as SIEM solutions systems, to collect and analyze log data from various sources and detect anomalies or suspicious activities. it's also important to conduct regular audits and assessments of your security controls and processes. These assessments help identify gaps and weaknesses in your security posture and provide recommendations for improvement.

Use a third-party consultancy to come and do an assessment on your security and to present the result to your management. Hearing bad news about your security practices from an independent third-party will provide greater impact.