We have all come to understand just how important cybersecurity has become for organisations of all sizes in recent years.
And with every day that passes, there seems to be a new form of threat that organisations need to prepare for.
One of the more recent buzzwords that has hit the market is External Attack Surface, and understanding what this is and how it can impact your business is of critical importance in today’s digital marketplace.
In this guide, you will learn more about what an External Attack Surface is, what External Attack Surface Management is, why it is important, and what some of the solutions for your business can be.
An External Attack Surface (EXS) also known as a digital attack surface is the sum of an organisation’s internet-facing assets and the associated attack vectors which can be exploited during an attack. Every public-facing asset your customers and employees access when interacting with your company online, whether owned and managed by your organisation or by a third party, makes up your online ecosystem. This represents your organisation’s external attack surface.
Anything from domain names, SSL Certificates, iOS, operating systems and even network devices are at risk under an External Attack Surface.
You may have heard of attack surfaces or attack vectors in the past but they are different in nature. An attack vector is a method of gaining unauthorised access to a network or computer system.
An attack surface is the total number of attack vectors an attacker can use to manipulate a network or computer system or extract data.
When it comes to protecting your organisation it is important to understand that your external digital footprint is far more expensive than your internal one – involving digital assets that exist outside the organisation’s standard firewall protection.
External Attack Surface Management (EASM) is an emerging cybersecurity discipline that identifies and manages the risks presented by internet-facing assets and systems.
The processes used in EASM involves:
Asset discovery
Discover and map unknown external facing assets and systems to the organisation.
Monitoring
Continuously scan external facing attack surfaces and a variety of environments (such as cloud services) and distributed attack surfaces.
Analysis
Risk determination – which assets are going to be susceptible to attacks and what kind of damage can be inflicted.
Vulnerability assessment
Is the asset vulnerable or is it behaving in an anomalous manner?
Prioritisation
Vulnerability prioritisation – use a multi-layered scoring system to reduce noise and prioritise risks and vulnerabilities based on criticality.
Remediation
Resolution and mitigation action planning – provide action plans on mitigating threats and integration with solutions such as ticketing systems, incident response tools and SOAR solutions.
Attack surface mapping (ASM), also known as; attack surface monitoring, managing and analysing, provides continuous surveillance of your changing attack surface. Specifically, it detects assets that contain, transmit, or process your data, while identifying vulnerabilities as they appear. It informs you of:
If you’d like to learn more about strategies for protecting your attack surface, please click here to download our whitepaper.
As with many things that have happened since the pandemic, global cybersecurity has had to be fast moving and flexible in order to keep organisations safe and protected, whilst also allowing individuals to do their work safely and without fear of causing any major disruption thanks to cybersafety concerns. The growing importance of EASM can be attributed to:
One of the key issues with WFH and the last example provided in Shadow IT is that many systems can be compromised thanks to misconfiguration. These external threats include:
Thanks to its growing importance in the cybersecurity landscape, EASM solutions are designed to help organisations in avoiding such attacks to their systems. Essentially, advanced EASM solutions are crucial for automating the discovery of IT elements and external vulnerabilities.
It’s not a mystery that times have changed, and even a single web page in a modern web application can rely on content and code from possibly hundreds of sources. This can result in cyber threats posed which haven’t been identified by traditional sources or even manual checks. EASM solutions can identify these issues, and plan a response to protect systems quickly.
The right EASM solution provides an organisation with a broader view and co-ordinated approach towards enterprise security.
BlueFort has developed a wide range of cybersecurity tools that are designed to deal with these issues from different perspectives; from digital transformation to EndPoint Detection and Response. To see a full suite of solutions, click on the link.
Organisations face many new challenges, and the last couple of years have not been any different when it comes to protecting businesses and their cybersecurity. One of the emerging threats and solutions has been External Attack Surface Management, which is the sum of an organisation’s internet-facing assets, and the associated attack vectors which can be exploited during an attack. It’s become critical to not only understand what it is but also how you can best respond to it.
If you are looking to get a better understanding of where your organisation’s cyber weaknesses lie, please click here to request a demo with one of our cybersecurity experts.
BlueFort’s Evolve IT Services can not only help you to get a much better understanding of these threats but also provide you with solutions to protect your organisation in the long term. Call 01252 917000, email enquiries@bluefort.com or get in touch with us via our contact form.
If you were to even utter the words cloud-computing just a few years ago, many would have baulked at the idea, and many others would be asking, “What are you talking about?” Today, most people are aware of cloud-computing and cloud storage, and for businesses, it has become an essential part of their online data and where everything is stored.
Thanks to the effects of the pandemic in recent years, many organisations had to switch to cloud-based solutions so that people could carry on with their day-to-day working lives. Now, even with the return of many to the office, cloud computing has become the go-to, and the need for cloud security risk management has become even more important today.
In this article, we are going to take a closer look at what cloud security posture management is, why it is important, and how it works.
Cloud security posture management is a category of automated data security solution that manages: monitoring, identification, alerting, and remediation of compliance risks and misconfigurations in cloud environments. One of its most critical functions is continuous monitoring for gaps in the way security policies are enforced.
Analyst firm, Gartner defined CSPM as “a category of products that automate security and compliance assurance and address the need for proper control over cloud infrastructure configurations.” In 2020, according to Gartner, the adoption of CSPM solutions was strong, projected to reach 25% in just a few years as more organisations recognised them as must-have cloud security tools.
However, many organisations wrongly believe that when they move to a cloud-based infrastructure, their cloud hosting provider is in charge of the security. This is in fact not correct, and this mistaken belief leads to data breaches and other security mishaps.
CSPM is designed to not only mitigate these compliance risks but also to continuously monitor the cloud infrastructure.
We have all become very attuned to the idea of cloud computing in recent years, so much so that we take for granted just how it has helped to improve the way we work and even, where we work. Alongside this leap in quality in recent years, there are many who are taking advantage of these systems to launch cyber attacks and jeopardise the future of organisations, by getting hold of information stored in these cloud systems.
This is where CSPM has become ever more important in recent years. Despite the efforts of businesses to better train staff and to be aware of the issues that can be thrown up by cybersecurity attacks, CSPM tools are involved in protecting businesses from potentially devastating security threats.
The benefits of a CSPM system include:
Some of the capabilities of CSPM include:
The idea behind CSPM is that it provides protection in 3 ways, this includes:
We have grown accustomed to the use of cloud computing but for many organisations who have switched to this data infrastructure, many haven’t realised that the potential security threats to their data isn’t protected by the cloud computing provider. This is where CSPM tools come into their own. They not only help to protect your data in cloud solutions but also work to uncover potential weaknesses and mitigate any issues that could potentially arise from a misconfigured cloud storage solution.
If you are looking to get a better understanding of where your organisation’s cyber weaknesses lie, BlueFort’s Evolve IT Services can not only help you to get a much better understanding of these threats but also provide you with the solutions to protect your organisation in the long term.
Call 01252 917000, email enquiries@bluefort.com or get in touch with us via our contact form.
It’s incredible to think that APIs have been with us since the year 2000 but only in the last decade has their use exploded.
In fact, if you were to look at some basic statistics, nearly 61% of developers reported using more APIs in 2020 than in previous years, and that number would rise to 71% in the coming years.
However, thanks to what they are and how they transfer vast amounts of data, APIs are posing a wide range of security risks and with that, there are various challenges associated with API security testing that need to be better understood and discussed.
In this article, we are going to further explore the topic of API security testing, why it is important, the common types of API security testing, best practices, and discuss how API security testing works.
APIs are Application Program Interfaces and they connect services to transfer data. They are extremely useful as they allow two different programs to interact with each other i.e. Google with Booking.com.
APIs help developers by simplifying the coding process and granting them access to a wealth of data and resources they would not otherwise be able to access.
Thanks to their ability to talk to different systems, developers have become very accustomed to implementing them across sites, and using them as part of a wider connectivity strategy. However, as the use of APIs to connect systems and data increases, their value and associated security requirements also rise.
In order to ensure that API security is maximised, API security testing is required. API security testing is the process of checking for vulnerabilities in all APIs and ensuring compliance with the required standards at all times.
Because they are at the heart of so many applications, making sure that APIs are conformant to published specifications and resilient to bad and potentially malicious input is critical to an organisation’s overall security.
They are being widely used by developers across multiple platforms and sites, which means that the traditional methods of searching for security breaches are no longer suitable and in return, result in compromised security for the organisation.
The possible consequences of API security breaches include:
Naturally, if you were to begin API testing, there has to be some form of associated benefit. At the most basic level, API security testing helps identify and prevent vulnerabilities and their associated potential organisational risk. Other associated benefits include;
In response to the ever-increasing demands of API testing, there are three main types of tests you can perform. These tests include:
There are also different types of classifications of API security tests, these include;
When it comes to security testing it’s important to remember that basic security requirements have to be met.
The idea behind API scanning is to craft inputs into coax bugs and undefined behaviour out of an API – essentially mimicking the behaviour of a hacker.
You can carry out API security testing in a variety of ways, including;
Of course, in order to ensure that API security testing is working as it should, there are a variety of testing best practices which can be implemented in the testing environment, this includes;
APIs have become a go-to for developers and organisations who are looking to make their systems more easy to communicate with other systems, and in return help end users find a simple way to navigate between systems.
However, with this kind of development it has opened the doors to hackers being able to take vast amounts of data from organisations and users.
API security testing allows CISOs and organisations to get a grip on where there are potential weaknesses and in return, mitigate any potential future issues.
If you are looking to get a better understanding of where your organisation’s cyber weaknesses lie, BlueFort’s Evolve IT Services can not only help you get a much better understanding of these threats but also provide you with the solutions to protect your organisation in the long term.
Call 01252 917000, email enquiries@bluefort.com or get in touch with us via our contact form.
We have seen a drastic shift in the way we work and how organisations can get better prepared to deal with the issues faced when it comes to better cybersecurity. CISOs have had to be flexible and knowledgeable about all of these changes in recent times, especially thanks to the accelerated nature of the pandemic – so it’s no surprise that emerging threats have also become some of the most threatening cybersecurity issues organisations have had to face.
The shift to EASM protection has been one that most CISOs have had to deal with, and because EASM is involved with every public-facing asset your customers and employees access when interacting with your company online, whether owned and managed by your organisation or by a third party, being prepared is essential.
In this article, you will learn about the importance of EASM protection and the four steps for EASM protection, which include how to select a provider of such security solutions.
As with many things that have happened since the pandemic, global cybersecurity has had to be fast-moving and flexible in order to keep organisations safe and protected while also allowing individuals to do their work safely, and without fear of causing any major disruption thanks to cybersafety concerns.
The growing importance of EASM can be attributed to:
Of course, it shouldn’t surprise any CISO to know just how advanced and how many external attacks have increased in recent years as well.
One of the main issues with EASM is that many of the threats are coming from misconfigured attack surfaces (such as routers, various user devices, ports, web VPNs etc.)
The External Attack Surface Protection process can be broken down into 4 key steps – (alongside a fifth process: monitoring.)
This is where it is both known and unknown assets. (Thanks to WFH practices, some may download software or tools which aren’t known to CISOs and IT teams). Therefore it is essential for CISOs to use EASM management tools that can discover assets (external attack surfaces) that are unknown.
Things like Digital Risk Protection Services (DRPS) and tools should be reviewed regarding their EASM capabilities. Are they capable of identifying new vulnerabilities and threats? Can they highlight where the potential risks of attack are? These are things that need to be asked about the breadth of these services.
It’s become essential to understand that the tools you have at your disposal will provide coverage of different threats when it comes to asset discovery.
Once you have understood and detected the vulnerabilities, you need to take the next step which is to assess these vulnerabilities and investigate any potential risks. Having any security tests that are automatically kept up to date helps keep security teams immensely happy as they can manage resources efficiently.
Assessment can take on multiple forms including: an investigation into log changes or data or working with developers on code reviews. Existing vulnerability assessment tools and services can possibly provide this capability.
In this part of the protection, there is something called vulnerability scoring which will assign a number to the threats posed/vulnerabilities, which will help teams to prioritise what needs resolving first. (See next section)
Assessments such as penetration testing remain an important aspect of analysis and assessment.
Risk scoring is just another way of setting out the priorities that need urgent attention. It makes sense that any CISO focuses on the priorities first.
What is critical at this phase is that efficient resource allocation is organised, and therefore the need for prioritisation becomes a factor. Whether that is based on how assets may be prioritised based on how critical their risks and vulnerabilities are, or if it is systems which hold a key to the short term success of the organisation.
The vulnerability scoring that is carried out during analysis and assessment – will inform prioritisation.
Remediation in cybersecurity refers to the addressing of a breach and limiting the amount of damage that breach can potentially cause to your business.
Being able to deal with these issues however is down to resource allocation. You may require more people at one given time on one problem versus another time. The best services and tools help in optimising resource allocation – prioritising high impact fixes and ensuring optimal use of time.
There is a growing availability of various EASM services along with a range of EASM tools and platforms. However, the required capabilities of EASM tools and platforms can also be applied to service providing organisations;
Some organisation’s CISOs have existing commercial relationships with Digital risk protection service providers, who may already offer the required EASM services. It is important to assess whether or not these third parties have the necessary skills and tools to deal with your EASM protection requirements.
Once you have made your shortlist of providers, it is then essential to go through the different providers capabilities to see how they operate and what their processes look like. This includes: discovery, analysis, prioritisation, remediation. An EASM service provider might be selected based on a recognised use-case priority. It is essential that you are not only considering your current use case; but also considering what the future is likely to require.
In addition to this you need to thoroughly assess the proposed service providers based on their skills, previous experience, reviews and testimonials, their preparedness, resources and the tools they use.
BlueFort has developed a wide range of cybersecurity tools that are designed to deal with these issues from different perspectives from digital transformation to EndPoint Detection and Response. To see a full suite of solutions, click on the link.
CISOs have had to deal with a lot of changes in recent years, and the pandemic accelerated the need for organisations to take the time to learn about their cybersecurity needs. The emergence of EASM protection is essential as the move to WFH culture is here to stay but this poses threats to a businesses cybersecurity. CISOs not only need to be prepared for this shift but also, the potential issues that come with it.
If you are looking to get a better understanding of where your organisation’s cyber weaknesses lie, BlueFort’s Evolve IT Services can not only help you to get a much better understanding of these threats but also provide you with the solutions to protect your organisation in the long term.
Call 01252 917000, email enquiries@bluefort.com or get in touch with us via our contact form.
Cybersecurity has come a long way in the last couple of years, and with the advancement of security, there is also an advancement of those creating more complex and sometimes more discernibly simple attacks such as an API security breach.
There are many unique challenges associated with API security that CISOs and organisations have to face. Unfortunately due to their nature, they can be easily hacked and give cybercriminals access to sensitive financial, medical and personal data.
In this article, we are going to take a closer look at what API security is, the importance of API security, and finally some best practices (with a checklist).
API Security refers to methods that prevent malicious attacks on application program interfaces (API).
APIs are Application Program Interfaces and they connect services to transfer data. They are extremely useful as they allow two different programs to interact with each other i.e. Google with Booking.com. APIs help developers by simplifying the coding process, and granting them access to a wealth of data and resources they would not otherwise be able to access.
With the advent of social media in the early 1990s and the explosion of the internet on mobile devices, it has become a go-to mechanism for both developers and end users to get sites and systems interacting with each other through APIs. However, this has brought about many new challenges and headaches for CISOs around the world.
As mentioned in the introduction, cybersecurity has only had to get better thanks to the emergence of new technologies and cybercriminals becoming faster and more advanced in their attacks.
One particular area of their interest is in API security, as API interfaces provide a high level of exposure, and potentially provide access to large volumes of sensitive and valuable information.
In 2020 alone, there were over 15 billion incidents involving compromised credentials, which led to a significant number of major data breaches. Some examples of API hacks and security issues include:
Whilst APIs are enormously beneficial, they present significant security challenges. Thanks to their benefits, both by the developers and the end users; APIs can still be enjoyed with minimal risk to data by adhering to some simple best practices.
The following is a basic checklist that you can begin to implement into your API security protocols. As with any cybersecurity issue, it is best to seek advice from experts in the area such as BlueFort.
How can you protect your data from API security issues?
One of the best ways to protect your API security is to use the latest TLS versions to block the usage of the weakest cipher suites.
Organisations using APIs which routinely exchange sensitive data (such as login credentials, credit card, social security, banking information, health information), TLS encryption should be considered essential.
Poor authentication or non-existent authorisation are major issues with many publicly available APIs. They provide an entry point to an organisation’s databases, it’s critical that the organisation strictly controls access to them.
You can create the right security protocols to protect your organisation. Authentication methods include:
When feasible, use solutions based on solid, proven authentication and authorisation mechanisms such as OAuth2.0 and OpenID Connect.
One of the key battles with API security is that it is sometimes considered when it is too late. Another issue is that API security is someone else’s issue. Making API security a priority is a business necessity, after all, organisations need to recognise they have a lot to lose with unsecured APIs.
A key element to this is to allocate appropriate investment. With the right investment, you can protect your API security with better tools.
Whether an organisation has one or hundreds of publicly available APIs, building an inventory of all the APIs so that they can be secured and managed using perimeter scans, along with insight from developers, to create an inventory of all APIs is the best place to begin.
It is a security principle that effectively holds that the subjects/entities (users, processes, programs, systems, devices) are only ever granted the minimum necessary access rights to complete a required function. This is something that applies more broadly to all IT systems, and it should be applied equally to APIs.
One of the biggest issues with APIs is that they are designed to allow for the exchange of data. In short, APIs can reveal more information than necessary.
With API security you should ensure that APIs only return as much information as is necessary to fulfil their function i.e. form fill outs should only exchange the data on the form and nothing else on a system.
In addition, enforce data access controls at the API level, monitor data, and obfuscate if the response contains confidential data.
All input data must be validated, and anything that is too big or doesn’t comply with required checks must be rejected. Ensure injection exploits are prevented.
Avoid WASPS. The OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) Top 10 is a list of the ten worst vulnerabilities. It should be ensured that systems have been secured for these vulnerabilities.
Good API management solution will help make sense of API data, and establish secure API practices.
The world of cybersecurity is enormously challenging and continuously evolving with new threats appearing daily. Partnering with experienced cybersecurity experts who know exactly what’s needed to secure enterprise level API based systems, is often the best API security solution.
BlueFort’s security solutions are ideally positioned to help organisations be prepared for API attacks and more.
There is a simple checklist that can be used to audit/assess current API security practices:
API Security refers to methods that prevent malicious attacks on application program interfaces (API). APIs help developers by simplifying the coding process, and granting them access to a wealth of data and resources they would not otherwise be able to access.
Because of their nature, APIs can pose massive security risks. There are however plenty of security solutions that can be implemented to better protect organisations from API security attacks.
If you are looking to get a better understanding of where your organisation’s cyber weaknesses lie, BlueFort’s Evolve IT Services can help you to get a much better understanding of these threats and also provide you with the solutions to protect your organisation in the long term.
Call 01252 917000, email enquiries@bluefort.com or get in touch with us via our contact form.
It’s always the case in nearly every organisation that getting teams to talk can run into issues every now and then. In the case of CISOs and the C-Suite this is nothing new. When it comes to today’s cybersecurity threats, being prepared and being able to get buy-in from people on the board level is business critical.
C-Suite executives are busy keeping track of staff, profits, projects and ensuring the smooth running of the organisation. However, so are CISOs, and getting people to talk needs to be a priority.
When it comes to External Attack Surface Management, the C-Suite needs to be better prepared. It is mainly humans and their interactions with systems that can cause the biggest security issues.
In this article, we will look at the challenges for CISOs and the C-Suite, EASM and the C-Suite, and how to talk about EASM with the C-Suite.
There have been many challenges over recent years between the CISOs and the C-Suite team, the biggest being business readiness in the face of a global pandemic. The shift of people working from home and the challenges this brings to the cybersecurity teams cannot be understated.
There have been numerous reported cases of weakened cybersecurity systems because of this shift in working patterns, and the increased vulnerability to expanding external attack surfaces has been noted by many CISO teams around the world.
This is why the need to gain the C-Suite’s trust and buy-in, in order to effectively deal with ever-increasing security threats is a challenge for CISOs.
With the emergence of EASM (External Attack Surface Management) as one of the new cybersecurity concerns, CISOs have to think differently about how they get C-Suite buy-in. Particularly, CISOs need to think about:
It’s no wonder that with anything technological, things move fast in cybersecurity. EASM as recently referred to the consultant firm Gartner is the new major security threat.
An External Attack Surface (EAS) also known as a digital attack surface, is the sum of an organisation’s internet-facing assets; and the associated attack vectors which can be exploited during an attack. Every public-facing asset your customers and employees access when interacting with your company online, whether owned and managed by your organisation or by a third party, makes up your online ecosystem. This represents your organisation’s external attack surface.
It’s no wonder that many organisations are completely unaware of how expansive their external attack surfaces are. You have to consider that external attack surfaces are primarily user-based – where misconfigurations between downloaded software, new apps or tech and even where information is being accessed, can cause larger security threats.
This is why it is important that organisations are implementing and using EASM effectively. However, one of the biggest challenges is getting CISOs to communicate the use of EASM with urgency to the C-Suite. This is something that must be resolved internally within the organisation in order to ensure protection from cyber attacks.
Therefore, the need to get cybersecurity buy-in from the C-Suite – specifically to support EASM is a business necessity.
Getting the CISOs to talk about EASM with the C-Suite and the Board is essential as highlighted in the previous section. But how does the CISO get to discuss this new hot topic in cybersecurity, without either alienating a busy Board or even the main decision makers?
So what do CISOs need to remember before discussing EASM to the C-Suite?
There are some specific things that CISOs can do to make the process of communication easier with the C-Suite, this includes:
It can always be intimidating for non-technical minds to have technical discussions with technical people. Knowing your audience is essential, and CISOs need to be familiar with who they are talking to/communicating with, and what their respective priorities might be.
By knowing the target audience (their technical familiarity, favoured communication styles, priorities etc.) presentations and messages can be more effective and elicit trust.
CISOs may want to start by getting an understanding of the individuals knowledge of EASM, and then tailoring their explanations to that audience.
One of the fears for many non-technical people is jargon. Jargon can isolate audiences more than it can bring people together, and CISOs have a bit of a reputation for using jargon in their presentations and even general discussions. This must be avoided at all costs – especially if you’re trying to get buy-in from individuals who have the power to approve changes.
Another important aspect of communication in this instance, is the need to fully understand relevant metrics and how they relate to the business and bottom-line. Communicate these with C-Suite and the Board using language they are familiar with.
Boards are more likely to respond to risk, and the need to show a return on their cybersecurity investment. There is a need for consistency and clarity without being over-complex.
One of the best ways to communicate with busy people is to talk about case studies of other busy people. What we mean is, discussing the issues faced by other businesses, can put the C-Suite in a better position to understand the potential impact of what could happen to their own business if they are not prepared.
This is a really good way of conveying the importance of EASM without having to over-sell. If a competitor or a business that is admired by the C-Suite has been affected by the cybersecurity challenges from EASM, it’s better to get the C-Suite to see it from a business perspective.
Another potential way to add to this strategy is to talk about the cost impact of security breaches. This can help in persuading C-Suite/Board to allocate an adequate security budget.
Finally, thanks to the ever-increasing use of personal devices and the move to WFH, explaining the risks involved in not paying adequate attention to EASM, is a strategy that can reap benefits for getting organisational approval.
When discussing these measures, it’s important to be very clear about what it is you want to achieve, what you are asking for, and what to expect from the C-Suite/Board. Without clarity, the C-Suite can ignore the requests, as they are aware of the issue but have nothing to guide them to a solution that can help them.
For example, a complex EASM objective can be broken down into prioritised requirements. Those which have the greatest impact being the highest priority. The lower the priority, the less attention it should be given in any discussion.
Discuss the benefits of making these changes, and relate any specific requirements with the metrics that will be affected; e.g. risk levels or automation saving time etc.
It would be an understatement to say that CISOs and the C-Suite have found it easy to communicate when it comes business requirements, especially in cybersecurity over the last couple of years. With a greater push to work from home for many businesses, getting CISOs and the C-Suite to have better communication is a business necessity.
With the emergence of EASM tools to help protect businesses from cyber attacks, CISOs must be able to better communicate the benefits of looking after these issues to the C-Suite, and prioritise what is required in order to keep the organisation running smoothly.
If you are looking to get a better understanding of where your organisation’s cyber weaknesses lie, BlueFort’s Evolve IT Services can not only help you to get a much better understanding of these threats, but also provide you with the solutions to protect your organisation in the long term.
Call 01252 917000, email enquiries@bluefort.com or get in touch with us via our contact form.
It’s pretty safe to say that when the global pandemic hit us all in 2020, businesses (and individuals) weren’t aware of the potential changes that were about to take place across the global working environment. We saw a massive move to working from home, and to this day, global teams and even new hires are finding different ways to work remotely rather than returning to the office.
While this has brought about a massive shift in the local and national economies around the world, it has also meant that the way we work has changed, and with that, the threats to organisations have also changed. With more people using cloud infrastructure and platform services, there has been an explosion in complexity and unmanaged risk.
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) mistakes are unfortunately common because of this, so it is important to ensure that businesses are prepared to mitigate risks and to develop a cybersecurity methodology that protects businesses.
In this article, you will learn what CSPM is, how Cloud Security Posture Management works, CSPM best practices, and, finally, typical CSPM mistakes and how to avoid them.
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) automates the identification and remediation of risks across cloud infrastructures, including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Software as a Service (Saas), and Platform as a Service (PaaS). CSPM is used to visualise risk and assess incident response, compliance monitoring, and DevOps integration, and can uniformly apply best practices for cloud security to hybrid, multi-cloud, and container environments.
Of course, in an interconnected world where more and more is being done on cloud services, while they provide flexibility, they are extremely hard to secure.
In short, CSPM works by examining and comparing a cloud environment against a defined set of best practices and known security risks.
Some of the CSPM tools issue alerts, while others automate remediation in order to establish better practices and avoid further security risks. Some of the main CSPM benefits include:
By doing so, it limits the risk that could lead to a data breach or leak.
Continuously assess and monitor cloud environments to ensure organisations are adhering to their compliance policies.
As with any protocols used in cybersecurity, there are best practices that can be used throughout the organisation and by CISOs to ensure that CSPM is treated properly. These best practices include;
There are, however, common mistakes that occur when it comes to CSPM, so it is important for organisations to find a way to enforce them.
With more and more organisations switching to work from home practices, cloud security protocols must be a key part of the cybersecurity function. CSPM automates the identification and remediation of risks across cloud infrastructures, and if best practices are followed, regardless of the size of the entity, more can be done to stop potential attacks and keep organisations safe.
If you were looking to get a better understanding of where your organisation’s cyber weaknesses lie, BlueFort’s Evolve IT Services can not only help you get a much better understanding of these threats but also provide you with the solutions to protect your organisation in the long term.
Call, 01252 917000, email enquiries@bluefort.com or get in touch with us via our contact form.
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