"Three degrees of separation from a cyber attack" means that even if a cyber attack doesn't directly target you, you could still be affected by one due to your connections with other individuals or systems that are attacked. (sorry for the lengthy social post, but let us explain what you can and should do) Three key actions to take when your business faces indirect cyber risk through interconnected relationships: 1. Conduct a thorough mapping of all your third-party vendors, suppliers, and business partners, documenting how their systems connect to yours and what data they can access. This should include performing security assessments of these partners and requiring them to meet minimum security standards through contractual obligations. Regular audits of their security practices will help ensure ongoing compliance. 2. Implement robust network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential spread of attacks through your business connections. This means setting up clear boundaries between different parts of your network, using strong authentication methods, and following the principle of least privilege - only giving users and systems access to what they absolutely need. Regular testing of these controls helps ensure they remain effective. 3. Develop and regularly test an incident response plan that specifically addresses indirect cyber attacks through your business network. This should include establishing clear communication channels with your key business partners, maintaining offline backups of critical data, and having pre-arranged agreements with cybersecurity firms that can provide emergency support. Running tabletop exercises that simulate attacks through third-party connections will help identify gaps in your response capabilities. #BlackBottleIT's team of cybersecurity experts can help. Let's plan for a better 2025 together. 📞 800-214-0957 ✉️ info@blackbottleit.com https://lnkd.in/eR23aype #ThreatDetection #VendorManagement #ThirdPartyRisk #Cybersecurity #IRPlans #CyberAttacks
