Are you Prepared for the Left & Right of BOOM!?

BOOM!

Yeah, BOOM. Just what does that mean? Like a lot of phrases, it comes from the military. ‘Boom’ is a negative event, like a bomb going off or a full-scale attack. In cybersecurity, it’s a data breach of some sort. Left of Boom are preventive measures before the event, and Right of Boom are recovery measures after the event.

The type of BOOM we’re concerned with here would be a cyber-attack like Ransomware or a data breach. How do you prevent it? If it does happen, how do you recover quickly?

As we click away and make keystrokes, our actions can leave footprints in the cyberspace of our highly digitized environment. The battle for a thorough network security stategy is never over. Businesses stand as both guardians and targets while unseen adversaries covet their digital assets.

You need a two-pronged approach to Navigate through this treacherous terrain. Businesses must arm themselves with a sophisticated arsenal of defensive strategies. On one side, the vigilant guards of prevention (Left of Boom). On the other, the resilient bulwarks of recovery (Right of Boom).

Put these two together, and these strategies form the linchpin of a comprehensive defense. They help ensure that businesses can repel attacks and rise stronger from the ashes if breached.

Consider how best to organize your comprehensive digital security approach into the Left and Right – the before and after.

What is the left and right of boom in cyber security?

In cybersecurity, ’Left of Boom’ refers to preemptive measures and preventative strategies. These are things implemented to safeguard against potential security breaches. It encompasses actions aimed at preventing cyber incidents before they occur.

Think of the Left of Boom as an army gearing up for an impending enemy attack while hoping it doesn’t come. They would rearm and resupply their troops, set up triage areas including surgical medical support, and bolster their defensive fortifications.

‘Right of Boom’ refers to the post-breach recovery strategies. Companies use these after a security incident has taken place. This phase involves activities like incident response planning and data backup. This would be covered in a comprehensive Backup & Disaster Recovery plan. Consult with your IT support department or Managed IT services firm to develop this plan correctly.

Returning to the military attack analogy, once the boom happens and the attack begins, troops fall back on the battle tactics they have drilled on, rapidly getting resources in place as the enemy’s strategy reveals itself and stemming the tide of the assault as quickly as possible.

When you put them together, The Left and Right form a comprehensive defensive strategy, covering both prevention and recovery aspects. Ultimately, the goal is to enhance an organization's resilience against cyber threats.

Prevention Strategies: Left of Boom

User Security Awareness Training

Security Awareness Training will always be your first line of defense. Regular training sessions can educate and empower the staff to spot intrusion attempts, such as phishing emails, recognize social engineering attempts and adopt secure online behaviors. An informed workforce becomes a strong line of defense against potential threats.

Employee training reduces the risk of falling for a phishing attack by 75%.

Robust Access Control and Authentication

Implementing strict conditional access control measures reduces the risk of a breach. It helps ensure employees only have access to the tools necessary for their roles.

Access control tactics include:

Least privilege access

Multifactor authentication (MFA)

Contextual access

Single Sign-on (SSO) solutions

Regular Software Updates and Patch Management

Cybercriminals are constantly searching for outdated software – a major vulnerability. Left of Boom strategies include ensuring all software is regularly updated with the latest security patches. Automated patch management tools can streamline this process. They reduce the window of vulnerability.

Network Security and Firewalls

Even the laxest security should have a firewall and AV in place. After well-trained employees, firewalls are the next important line of defense against external threats. Install robust firewalls and intrusion detection/prevention systems. They can help track network traffic and identify suspicious activities. Additionally, they help block unauthorized access attempts. Secure network configurations are essential to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Ongoing Security Audits and Vulnerability Assessments

Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments to help identify potential weaknesses in your systems. By proactively addressing these vulnerabilities, organizations can reduce risk. They can reduce the chance of exploitation by cybercriminals.

Another highly recommended tool is to have penetration testing performed. These tests can simulate real-world cyber-attacks, allowing businesses to effectively evaluate their security posture.

Recovery Strategies: Right of Boom

Incident Response Plan

Heed the warning of Robert Burns, who wrote, “The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley (often go wrong).” After performing every defensive measure you could, you still suffer a successful attack. There’s your ‘BOOM.’ What do you do now?

Start with the IRP, then put your Backup & Disaster Recovery (BDR) plan into immediate action. This plan should outline the steps to take in the event of a security breach.

Your BDR should include things like:

Communication protocols

Containment procedures

Steps for recovery

IT support contact numbers

Regularly test and update your incident response plan. This ensures it remains effective and relevant.

Establish Automatic Data Backups

Having regularly backed up data is a vital component of Right of Boom. Without retrievable data, even the best Disaster Recovery Plan can fall apart.

Setting up automated backup systems is easy, and it ensures that critical data is regularly backed up. Regularly testing your data’s retrievability ensures that it can be quickly restored in the event of a breach. A disaster recovery plan allows businesses to resume operations swiftly after an incident.

Forensic Analysis and Learning

So, now that everything is under control, you need to learn from what happened. You need to know why and how the incident took place. Conduct a thorough forensic analysis. It’s essential to understand the nature of the attack, the extent of the damage, and the vulnerabilities exploited.

Educating yourself after an incident will enable you to strengthen your security posture further, making it harder for similar attacks to succeed in the future.

Heed the advice of J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote in ‘The Two Towers:’ "The burned hand teaches best. After that, advice about fire goes to the heart."

Compliances

After a breach is rectified, you need to be aware of what potential liability you may face. Fines and penalties for loss of client data can be severe. Navigating the legal and regulatory landscape after a security breach is important. You must follow data breach notification laws and regulations. Timely and transparent communication with affected parties is essential. It's vital to maintaining trust and credibility and can keep the government’s hand out of your pocket.