By: Stephanie Harbrecht, Managing Director – BrilliT
In the constantly evolving world of cybersecurity, most cooperatives find themselves underprepared for the persistent wave of cyber threats. It's widely acknowledged that one of the concerns that keeps CEOs up at night is how to ensure the information and cyber security of their cooperative.
Here are three questions CEOs should ask their Information Security team and the reasons why these questions are critical for maintaining a robust cybersecurity posture.
1. What Does Our Internal and External Attack Surface Look Like?
Your attack surface represents all the points where malicious actors can potentially breach its defenses. It's crucial to understand both the internal and external attack surfaces to identify potential vulnerabilities and safeguard critical assets. Here's why:
Proactive Defense: By knowing your attack surface, you can proactively mitigate potential threats. It allows your Information Security team to focus on protecting your organization's most vulnerable entry points, both from the inside and outside.
Risk Assessment: Understanding the attack surface aids in assessing your risk exposure accurately. This information can guide resource allocation and decision-making in your cybersecurity strategy.
Incident Response: In the event of a breach, knowing the attack surface helps expedite incident response efforts. Your team can quickly determine the compromised entry point and contain the breach efficiently.
2. What Is the Status of Our Vulnerability Management?
Vulnerability management is the process of identifying, classifying, and mitigating security vulnerabilities in your organization's systems and software. This is crucial for various reasons:
Threat Mitigation: Keeping track of vulnerabilities is essential for timely patching and remediation. By addressing weaknesses as they are discovered, you minimize the window of opportunity for potential attackers.
Compliance: Many industry regulations and compliance standards mandate active vulnerability management. Neglecting this aspect can lead to non-compliance and legal consequences.
Cost Reduction: Addressing vulnerabilities promptly is more cost-effective than dealing with a major security incident. A well-maintained vulnerability management program can save your organization from potential financial losses.
3. Do We Have a Current and Accurate Asset Inventory?
Maintaining an accurate asset inventory is often an overlooked yet vital aspect of cybersecurity. An asset inventory represents a comprehensive list of all hardware, software, and digital assets within your organization. Here's why this question is critical:
Visibility: You can't protect what you can't see. Having an up-to-date asset inventory ensures you have full visibility into your digital ecosystem. It helps identify unauthorized devices or software that may pose security risks.
Access Control: Knowing what assets you have allows you to implement proper access controls. Unauthorized access to critical systems can be prevented when you know which assets are in your environment.
Disaster Recovery: In the unfortunate event of a cyberattack or data breach, a current asset inventory is invaluable for disaster recovery efforts. It helps in assessing the scope of the incident and determining what data or systems are affected.
Cybersecurity is no longer a luxury but a necessity for all modern businesses. CEOs play a pivotal role in ensuring their company's security, and it begins with asking the right questions. These three questions and their answers—assessing the attack surface, monitoring vulnerability management, and maintaining an asset inventory—are the building blocks to ensuring a strong defense against cyber threats. By having your Information Security team positioned to readily provide answers to these questions, you empower your organization to stay ahead of potential threats, reduce financial, reputational, and legal risks, and minimize the impact of security incidents.
At BrilliT, we specialize in cybersecurity solutions tailored to the unique needs of electric cooperatives. We understand the evolving threat landscape and are dedicated to helping cooperatives navigate the challenges it presents. Cybersecurity is not an option; it's a necessity in the digital age. Prioritizing and investing in cybersecurity will protect our nation’s critical infrastructure and pave the way for a more secure, reliable, and resilient future.
BrilliT is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rappahannock Electric Cooperative and was created to help co-ops tackle the cybersecurity and IT challenges of today's constantly evolving digital world.
About the Author
Stephanie Harbrecht leads BrilliT with 15+ years of experience in the electric cooperative industry. During her career she has consulted with statewide associations on educational programs, strategized and consulted with industry leading organizations on their co-op market engagement plans, and developed and implemented a national multi-million-dollar vendor membership and experiential marketing program.
The BrilliT team is here to help, and we look forward to serving as your data analytics, cybersecurity, and IT experts. Reach out to us with questions.
