Enterprise network security leader Onclave Networks shares mistakes to avoid in cybersecurity planning
Cyberattacks in 2021 caused some of the greatest disruptions to critical infrastructure and data access the world has seen. Onclave Networks strongly recommends that enterprises and government organizations prioritize their cybersecurity solutions and budgets in 2022 and make the strategic move toward Zero Trust, microsegmentation, and continuous monitoring of IT and OT to better secure communications and safeguard enterprise networks.
“Setting a clear cybersecurity strategy based on assessing the risks, impacts, and current vulnerabilities will help companies prioritize cyber defense spending that’s proportionate to the overall threat,” said Sean Sullivan, vice president for Onclave Networks. “But equally true is that the long-term cybersecurity transformations must also have a ‘fast-track’ budget to address the near-term hardening of high-value targets that cannot wait for a multi-year optimization program.”
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This approach enables CISOs and CIOs to determine if investments are paying off or if new gaps are creating dangerous vulnerabilities. As a result, they can make more informed and justifiable recommendations to key cybersecurity budget decision-makers in the organization.
As companies continue to increase cybersecurity spending, Sullivan said it is critical they focus on the right areas and avoid common mistakes.
- Use an assessment framework to outline cybersecurity planning and the funding required to deliver it. This will enable your team to better identify security gaps across your network, prioritize the most critical weaknesses, and organize them into a corrective action plan that you can account for in the budget.
- Avoid being complacent and taking the easy approach. Your goal should not be to maintain what has been “good enough” because it appears to be working. With the convergence of IT and OT, the growth of remote access, and greater integration of supply chains and connected systems, the network attack surface is continuously growing as vulnerabilities expand. The “good enough” solution from a year ago will not keep data and operations secure as connectivity continues to evolve.
- When reviewing overall network infrastructure and costs, organizations should always be looking for ways to eliminate costly infrastructure that is ineffective or will not meet future requirements. Assuming, for instance, that the network access controls or application authentication of prior years will be sufficient to protect the co-mingled LAN leaves a void of prevention in the middle of the network, one that will be the prime target for your adversaries. Secured networking from that middle space is a prime opportunity to invest in network security that aligns with the recommended Zero Trust framework standard.
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“As we consider cybersecurity improvements in 2022, it’s best practice to begin assessments sooner rather than later,” Sullivan said.
“Companies will have to manage their budget and priority between their foundational transformations, their prime target fast track, and yet still have the buffer by which in-the-moment threats can be countered and remediated. Cybersecurity must be regarded as a critical innovation environment, as cybersecurity threats currently outpace defenses in their innovation spend and that cannot be allowed to continue.”
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