No more excuses: get your security house in order

Alarmed, fatigued, jaded, scared, uncertain, doubtful … you can use any of these terms to describe the overriding sentiment of consumers in response to the latest reports of cyberattacks around the world.

Many of these are highly advanced threats, and defending an organization against them requires specialized skills and a significant investment in technology that can sound the alarm in time to avert the danger.

There are also many low-skill, low-effort attacks that keep defenders busy but have little or no material impact on organizations.

Strong cybersecurity must continually take all of these threats into account in real time.

Keeping up with new threats

Every year, cybersecurity publications, media outlets and industry bodies record significant new threats and cite striking examples of how these can affect organizations. 

I follow this news cycle diligently, as should everyone in my profession – because, even if you drop your guard just once, that will be the moment when a material security compromise occurs on your watch.

In these reports, references to the “evolving threat landscape” are no longer just marketing buzz. The threat landscape really has been transformed significantly and irreversibly over the past 24 months by a perfect storm of events that are giving threat actors new firepower on an already uneven cyber-battlefield.

What’s changed?

The permanent swing to remote and hybrid work after the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing scarcity of cybersecurity professionals and the rise of AI and GenAI have all contributed to the current state of cybersecurity.

Set against the backdrop of underresourced security operations teams, these developments create new avenues of attack and multiply the already unfair advantages that cybercriminals enjoy. For the attackers, the compelling potential ROI from these attacks far outweighs the risks.

It is therefore not surprising that cybercrime numbers keep on rising: a Statista report notes that the global cost of cybercrime is expected to surge in the next four years, from $9.22 trillion this year to $13.82 trillion by 2028. 

In 2023, nearly 50% of organizations had numerous severe security incidents, and 55% have reported the severity of incidents has increased over the last two years, according to NTT Security Holdings’ 2024 Global Threat Intelligence Report.

There is no going back. We need a step change in our defenses, starting with understanding the latest challenges in cybersecurity and determining how prepared your organization is to respond to these threats. 

An objective, evidence-based security assessment will give your organization the data and rationale to implement the right remedies and mitigations.

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4 cyberdefenses to consider

Once you have completed your security assessment, these are four categories of advanced defenses to consider as part of your security upgrades:

1. Advanced threat intelligence: Gathering intel proactively – both from within your organization and externally – is an essential part of early threat detection.
2. Data security and data privacy: You need to explore technologies that apply security controls and measures at the data level. Fine-grained security controls can protect your valuable data even in highly collaborative work environments.
3. AI-powered security operations: Not every organization has the appetite or budget for a major transformation of their defenses. Instead, you can focus on specific insertion points – areas where leveling up in security with the help of AI makes the most sense. You can also work with an expert partner to access AI services that will strengthen your cybersecurity.
4. Digital forensics: Put in place tools and mechanisms that will give you the edge when it comes to rapidly isolating and containing threats and restoring services while collecting the evidence you need to pursue and – ideally – prosecute a perpetrator. At the very least, digital forensics serve as a deterrent, making attackers think twice before launching an attack.

Join the team

If this sounds like a lot to deal with, the good news is that cybersecurity is a team sport: most organizations these days are working closely with service providers like NTT DATA who can take care of the technicalities of cybersecurity on their behalf.

We offer deep knowledge and experience that your in-house security team might lack, and we’re always up to date with the latest threats, compliance standards and best practices. This means you’ll spend less money on hiring specialized staff and investing in advanced security technologies.

A major benefit we offer is round-the-clock monitoring. We use our Managed Detection and Response platform to nullify threats in real time, more efficiently than an in-house team could, and we can scale our services as your business needs change.

This is how we help our clients to make that all-important step change in their cybersecurity posture and stay a step ahead of the cybercriminals. 

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