The Cyber Vulnerabilities
The fast evolution of the international scenario puts companies in front of new challenges. These challenges are closely related to security, staff preparation and the constant growth of cyber vulnerabilities.
Facing challenges and knowing how to bring them back to new opportunities in cybersecurity management are core actions for public and private companies and organisations. Not only to defend themselves, but also to remain competitive on the global market.
With this in mind, companies are called to have a preventive approach in creating a corporate IT defense strategy, which acts in advance, reducing the attack surface as much as possible.
The goal of taking a proactive approach is aimed at maintaining business continuity even under attack and, therefore, implementing resilience as a means of security against any cyber vulnerability.
What cyber vulnerabilities are?
A cyber vulnerability can be defined as an explicit or implicit computer system component, in which security measures are absent, reduced or compromised.
This system weakness exposes it to an IT threat, i.e. it allows a possible attacker to compromise the entire security system.
Computer vulnerabilities are therefore malfunctions, incorrect configurations or simply errors present in a system that expose it to risks, such as computer attacks due to hackers and viruses.
Each corporate network, system, software or device may have one or more weaknesses or vulnerabilities.
This can depend on many factors: a design, writing or configuration error; something you can’t always spot. And is this invisibility that represents the main risk.
From the research of the Information Security & Privacy Observatory, 3 types of vulnerabilities emerge that increase the risk exposure of companies to cyber attacks:
- Obsolete or heterogeneous computer systems.
- Updates and patches not regularly done.
- Carelessness and lack of employees awareness.
The importance of employee awareness: security awareness
The last of the three points just mentioned is undoubtedly one of the most critical aspects when dealing with a cyber vulnerability.
Even before the technologies or tools used for IT security, it is the behavior of people, of employees, that makes the difference in maintaining an IT defense perimeter.
In fact, being aware to the existence of a danger and the consequences that this entails is the first defense tool.
Cybersecurity awareness transforms employees into the first shield against cyber crime, raising awareness, making them aware of the types, methods and impacts of cyber attacks against computers, servers, networks, mobile devices and company data.
The aim is to raise the security level of the entire organization, transforming people’s behavior and improving the security posture.
Prevent and manage a cyber vulnerability
To find a cyber vulnerability it’s necessary to subject the network, devices, software and corporate systems to a scan, a 360° analysis to highlight whether there are real risks or flaws that cyber criminals could exploit.
Vulnerability assessment and penetration test are the first steps that a company must take to monitor the possible presence of IT vulnerabilities, as they look for an application weak points.
They consist of an IT checkup, a detailed screening of the entire company infrastructure or a simple application vulnerabilities, with a “stress-test” operated through simulated and controlled attacks aimed at verify their resistance.
With these tests it is possible to define, identify, classify IT vulnerabilities and therefore respond to the threats orbiting the organization.
But to make the cyber vulnerabilities detection completely proactive and preventive, it is important to implement cyber threat intelligence actions.
Cyber threat intelligence allows you to gain valuable insights into the cyber threats that can arise from identified vulnerabilities. In fact, it allows companies to make a prediction about impending threats, predicting the possible moves of cyber criminals in advance.
Furthermore, correct and slavish security systems monitoring and qualified legal and operational support are of vital importance for an IT infrastructures resilience, as well as a reliable incident response system.
Discover all Telsy solutions for security awareness, vulnerability assessment, cyber threat intelligence, security monitoring and other preventive and reactive security tools dedicated to companies.