cyber resilience

"are you afraid of the dark (WEB)"

The financial losses, regulatory scrutiny, and often irreparable reputational harm inherent in a successful cyber attack, can present a real threat to an organization’s business, and sometimes its very survival.
You need look no further than the seemingly endless string of media reports to recognize that cyber adversaries are relentless in developing new and nefarious ways to attack.  While most boards and senior executives accept that the cyber threat is real, perhaps even inevitable, many struggle to orient traditional risk management practices towards enhancing the organization’s overall cyber resilience.
Increasingly, directors and senior executives are being held accountable for their organization’s cybersecurity posture
As Regulators retrospectively exact significant penalties from firms for past breaches, and we see an uptick in shareholder derivative actions filed against directors and officers for their alleged breach of fiduciary duties, cyber risk management, strategy, and resilience need to be more prominent topics in the boardroom.
Whether as a short, focused workshop to consider the impact of potential threat scenarios and enhance situational awareness, or as a war game designed to emulate the pressure of a real cyber attack, well orchestrated simulations are a highly effective – and crucially, practical – technique to help business leaders build the insight, culture, and resilience they need to evolve their cyber risk maturity.
How confident are you in your role as custodian of the brand?
An organization’s brand is a priceless asset. Beyond equipping boards and executives with the capabilities they need to preserve the confidence of customers, regulators and shareholders should a cyber attack occur, simulations can also clarify the true nature of the organization’s threat exposure and provide greater visibility into how well prepared the organization is to limit the impact to its bottom line and market standing.
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
Do you know what assets and information are most at risk? Who from? Can you anticipate how an attack might unfold? What early warning indicators or triggers should you be alert to to avert potential threats before they emerge?
Planning STRATEGIES
Have you accurately gauged how a cyber attack could impair your organization? Are you focused on, and investing in, the right things? Do you have plans and strategies in place to minimize any adverse impacts?
LEADERSHIP
Do you have strong leadership to make strategic decisions and prioritize actions in the wake of a breach? Is governance clearly defined? Are you clear on your fiduciary and regulatory obligations?
EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS
Do you have people outside your organisation you can rely on to support you should a breach occur? Are arrangements to do this already in place?
Internal resources
Do you have the right organizational talent? Can they be mobilized quickly to contain damages? Are roles and responsibilities clear should a breach occur?
PROACTIVE POSTURE
Could you communicate appropriately and transparently to all stakeholders? Have your strategies, plans and processes been evaluated? How well would you perform if you were breached?
The decisions you make and strategic actions you take in response, can make the difference between survival and demise
Simulations have long been conducted by the military and armed forces to test capabilities, surface vulnerabilities and improve their leaders’ preparedness to take strategic actions during events that are not easily predicted.
Moves and counter moves are played out to immerse participants in the experience of a real cyber event. Designed around realistic threat scenarios, this dynamic technique brings critical insights into the adequacy and robustness of the organization’s response strategies, tactical plans and ability to anticipate potential cyber threats.
A tried and tested technique to build the insight, culture and resilience needed to evolve the organization’s overall cybersecurity posture
The complexity of the simulated scenario is tailored to address specific business objectives; the format and intensity can vary depending on the purpose and extent of organizational participation and experience.
WORKSHOP | At one end of the continuum, workshops focus discussion around specific threat scenarios to heighten situational awareness and support the development of cybersecurity strategies and plans. They can also be used to help business leaders develop a common language, identify critical assets and drive out false assumptions.
TABLETOP | Tabletop exercises simulate an environment that allows participants to practice functioning in the capacity they would were they responding to a real event. These simulations often focus on sharpening specific skills, for example, rehearsing decision-making and communication protocols, or testing specific response plans and processes.
WAR GAME | At the end of the continuum, war games immerse participants in the pressure of a real and evolving attack, and often involve multiple layers of an organization. The simulation is played out real time and is designed to stress an organization’s ability to react to a cyber event as it unfolds, building muscle memory and giving participants the opportunity to hone their response reflexes.
Either as a standalone exercise or as part of a progressive program, simulations yield critical insights into an organization’s resiliency strengths, vulnerabilities and preparedness to withstand and recover from a cyber attack.
Navigating the cyber threat landscape
Cybersecurity risks are growing, both in their prevalence and in their disruptive potential. As the world becomes more complex and interconnected, today’s business leaders are under great pressure to rethink how they manage risk and build resilience.
Cyber resilience extends beyond an company’s ability to withstand and recover from a cyber event. A truly resilient organization has the foresight and situational awareness to avert potential threats before they emerge, and an ability to adapt and prosper, turning the cyber challenge into a source of strategic opportunity.
Meeting the cyber threat with greater fortitude
Simulations bring much needed context and education around what is an opaque and evolving threat, helping organizations prioritize their cybersecurity investments and align efforts with strategic business goals.
To find out more about our Cyber Simulations or Cyber Resilience Solutions, please contact us.
spotlight on | the “internet of things”

outsmarting the smart device

We are experiencing unprecedented growth in connectivity between the digital and physical worlds, where data resides in the cloud, on mobile technology and devices connected to the “Internet of Things” (IoT). While the opportunities are fascinating, cyber security is the leading challenge when it comes to the adoption of IoT technology because insecure interfaces increase the risk of unauthorized access.
Cyber adversaries are innovative, organized, and relentless in finding new ways to infiltrate, corrupt and weaponize whatever touches the internet – often bit by bit. Rather than simply going straight after the larger, and often better protected, intended target, adversaries worm their way into that organization’s supply chain, using smaller, less secure trusted partners and suppliers to gather intelligence and set traps.
While a largely regulation-free tech industry may soon be a thing of the past, for now, in a world which lets anyone build and share new code and services, with consequences to be dealt with later, security concerns over those seemingly innocuous devices should not be overlooked.