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In the digital landscape, every click and keystroke echoes through cyberspace. The battle for data security rages on. Businesses stand as both guardians and targets.Businesses must arm themselves with a sophisticated arsenal of cybersecurity strategies. On one side, there are the vigilant guards of prevention (Left of Boom), and on the other, there are the resilient bulwarks of recovery (Right of Boom). In between, you potentially find "The Boom," or the cyberattack.Together, Left and Right of Boom strategies form the linchpin of a comprehensive defense. They help ensure that businesses can repel attacks and rise stronger if breached.WEBIT Services has over 25 years of experience helping clients in the greater Chicago area achieve their IT goals.By reading this blog post, you’ll learn how to organize your cybersecurity approach into Left and Right of Boom.
In cybersecurity, “Left of Boom” and “Right of Boom” are strategic terms. They delineate the proactive and reactive approaches to dealing with cyber threats.“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.“Right of Boom” pertains 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.Together, these terms form a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. They cover prevention and recovery aspects that enhance an organization’s resilience against cyber threats.
One of the foundational elements of Left of Boom is employee cybersecurity education.Regular training sessions can empower staff. They help them identify 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%.
Implementing strict 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:
Outdated software is a common vulnerability exploited by cybercriminals.Left of Boom strategies include ensuring all software is regularly updated. They should have the latest security patches.Automated patch management tools can streamline this process and reduce the window of vulnerability.
Firewalls act as the first line of defense against external threats.Robust firewalls and intrusion detection/prevention systems can help track network traffic and identify suspicious activities. They can also help block unauthorized access attempts.Secure network configurations are essential to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Conduct IT risk assessments to identify potential weaknesses in your systems. By proactively addressing these vulnerabilities, organizations can reduce risk, decreasing the chance of cybercriminals exploiting them.
Having a well-defined incident response plan in place is crucial. This plan should outline the steps to take if there is a security breach.It should include things like:
Regularly test and update your incident response plan to ensure it remains effective and relevant.
Regularly backing up data and having a disaster recovery plan are vital components of Right of Boom. A disaster recovery plan allows businesses to resume operations swiftly after an incident.Automated backup systems can ensure that critical data is regularly backed up. An expert should also consistently test backups to verify that they can be quickly restored after a breach.Backups protect your essential data that cannot be replicated manually, saving you time and money and preventing reputation damage or potential legal action.
After a security breach, conduct a thorough forensic analysis. Understanding the attack's nature, the damage's extent and the vulnerabilities exploited is essential.Learning from these incidents enables organizations to strengthen their security posture further. This knowledge makes it harder for similar attacks to succeed in the future.
Navigating the legal and regulatory landscape after a security breach is essential.Organizations must follow data breach notification laws and regulations. Timely and transparent communication with affected parties is essential, and it’s vital to maintaining trust and credibility.
Left and Right of Boom create a holistic approach to data breaches and cyberattacks.Left of Boom applies proactive practices to prevent potential breaches. These may include user cybersecurity training, access control, applying software security patches, using network security tools, and performing regular risk assessments.Right of Boom focuses on strategies to restore your system quickly after a breach. It includes creating IT disaster and recovery plans, utilizing data backups, examining the attack, and taking necessary legal and compliance measures in a breach.Talk to your IT provider about the tools, procedures, and strategies you can add to your current cybersecurity strategy and incident response plans.In addition to your current practices, your IT provider should run quarterly risk assessments to discover vulnerabilities within your organization and recommend solutions.If your provider or internal team is not doing risk assessments or bringing you the reports and recommendations, it may be time to rethink your partnership. Cybersecurity is too critical to take lightly.WEBIT Services has established cybersecurity practices rooted in frameworks for hundreds of clients.If you are looking for a new IT provider, schedule a free 30-minute consultation to see how WEBIT can help.If you're not ready to make a commitment but would like to learn more about cybersecurity, we recommend the following articles:
