Many organizations have not yet implemented proper security measures in their infrastructure, putting themselves at risk. A cyber security assessment is essential, but many don’t realize its importance until after they suffer a cyber-attack. Some organizations
can even fall victim to multiple cyber-attacks that put their IT infrastructure at risk. There might not even be any signs of the attack until it’s too late for staff to detect it. This is one reason you should have a security assessment plan in your organization.
What is an IT Security Assessment?
An IT or also known as a cyber security assessment is an analysis of an organization’s security posture conducted by an internal IT leader or external security consultant. The purpose of a security assessment aims to identify the organization’s strengths and weaknesses in terms of its ability to protect itself from external threats and having a plan or strategy in place is highly critical to protecting your organization.
In order for a security assessment plan to be practical, you should conduct security assessments at least annually, and more frequent reviews can help organizations respond when needed. Organizations that have completed an IT security assessment are able to formulate recommendations for improvement and detailed reports about their status on specific threats.
4 Reasons Why an IT Security Assessment is Important
IT Staff Can Identify Weaknesses Within Their Infrastructure
An IT security assessment is vital in keeping an organization’s infrastructure secure. By identifying any weaknesses within the system, IT staff can take proactive steps to fix them before they become a problem. Additionally, security assessments can help organizations plan for future growth and expansion. Organizations with regular reviews will have a detailed understanding of their current vulnerability levels and what needs to be done to mitigate the latest threats.
Understanding Where Vulnerabilities Exist
A comprehensive and multi-layered approach to security yields an understanding of where vulnerabilities exist. This knowledge helps identify potential areas of weakness so they can be addressed. Vulnerabilities may include:
- Lack of encryption for data in transit.
- Lack of multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Weak passwords
If you want your organization to remain secure, ensure a security assessment plan is an integral part of your business strategy. An external pen test, performed by knowledgeable and specialized individuals, can offer your company peace of mind as it is a safe way to simulate a cyberattack on your systems to evaluate the strength of your security.
Prioritize Remediation of Vulnerabilities
Lack of Encryption for Data in Transit – Data that is not encrypted is a significant vulnerability because malicious actors could intercept sensitive data. Encrypting data will make it much more difficult for attackers to access it.
Lack of Multi-Factor Authentication – Lacking multi-factor authentication (MFA) is another serious security issue because hackers could potentially gain access to accounts and systems if they manage to steal login credentials. MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to enter a code along with their password. Some organizations allow employees to generate these codes on their own devices, but the most secure option is to use a separate service like Google Authenticator.
Using Weak Passwords – Hackers are everywhere, and they wait for loopholes to access your passwords. Weak passwords are short and common phrases that someone can easily guess. It is safer to use strong passwords because they are long and contain a mixture of upper and lower cases with numbers and symbols.
Review Existing or the Lack of Security Controls
Organizations need to have security assessments to review the existing systems or identify gaps or a lack of security controls. All too often, organizations wait until after an incident has occurred to take a look at their security posture. By then, it’s usually too late.
Security assessments are essential for a business’s security, success, and financial well-being no matter the size of the business. Cyber security assessments are one of our areas of expertise as a digital technology solution service company. We use the most recent technological advancements to assist businesses in streamlining their processes—request a security assessment by contacting 5P today to start your journey towards robust system security.