Asset Security and Protection
asset security and protection is a necessity in this world given that it encourages property owners to safeguard their properties from different elements including thieves, natural calamities, and clashes within families.
Data Security
Data security aims to protect digital information assets from destructive forces, such as hackers or other cyberattacks, and unwelcome actions by employees and other authorized users. It can include all manner of measures, from firewalls to multi-factor authentication and data encryption. It also encompasses data backup and business continuity/disaster recovery.
In practice, data security tends to be a bit of a balancing act. Different data has varying degrees of value, and regulatory requirements for some types of information may require more stringent security controls. It’s important to recognize that it’s impossible to protect all information assets equally, and that the key to success is to prioritize.
There are three core elements to effective data security: Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability. The first ensures that only authorized users have access to the data they need for business purposes. This includes establishing user credentials through technologies such as passwords, PIN numbers, security tokens and swipe cards. It also involves data encryption, hashing and tokenization.
The second element ensures that data is accurate, complete and free from corruption or unauthorized changes throughout its lifecycle. It includes technologies such as data discovery and classification that scan and report on the location of sensitive data, along with labeling it by type or purpose. This inventory lets organizations know what they’re protecting and where to apply more focused, targeted cybersecurity efforts.
Lastly, data security must be constantly on the lookout for situations where sensitive or critical data is being stored in unsecured locations or is overexposed, such as through file sharing or social media. To avoid these problems, a strong data security strategy typically utilizes technology such as zero trust architecture, which eliminates the need to establish and maintain trusted relationships between different parts of the network. This approach uses telemetry to identify anomalous behavior and suspicious data flows, as well as a combination of perimeter device telemetry and content classification (ingested by DLP or e-Discovery) to prevent malicious intrusions and stop data exfiltration. It can be deployed across the entire enterprise, or in specific regions and applications. In the latter case, it’s typically combined with localization or segmentation to provide more precise protection.
Physical Security
Physical security focuses on keeping facilities, assets and people safe from real-world threats. These can include everything from natural disasters to vandalism and theft. The term can also refer to keeping unauthorized people, such as outside contractors or third parties working on site, away from areas or assets they shouldn’t have access to.
To effectively protect against physical events, you must start by completing a risk assessment and then developing an asset protection plan. The plan should include a range of measures, from basic barriers to sophisticated access control technology. Each measure should be tailored to the threat level and site conditions.
For example, a laboratory might need to be secured with a higher level of security than an office building or warehouse. This is because a lab is likely to contain hazardous materials. These materials may not only pose an immediate danger to the general public, but can be a health risk for staff members who work in the area.
This is why it’s important to consider every aspect of your business when drawing up a physical security plan. This includes the site layout, room assignments, regulations governing equipment placement and use, power supply options, staff training, relationship with outside contractors and agencies, as well as internal processes like incident response.
As part of your asset protection planning process, you should look at the most common threats to the assets you want to protect. These might be environmental, such as fires or floods, or they could be more specific to the site, such as unauthorized entry into restricted areas or theft of specific assets.
Using a Deter-Detect-Delay-Respond strategy to mitigate these risks will help you create an effective physical security system. For instance, a system that records multiple failed login attempts can discourage unauthorized users while simultaneously providing forensically-friendly data about activity at the site. This type of data will also prove helpful in determining the cause of any incidents.
Once you’ve completed your risk assessment and created an asset protection plan, it’s time to begin implementation. This is the stage when you’ll determine which physical security controls will be required and what their cost will be. Be sure to review any existing resources that might be used to support these new measures, such as internet bandwidth for streaming video or server space for storing all of the data generated by physical security devices.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity involves all the technologies and practices that keep computer systems, networks and data safe from hackers and other malicious actors. It includes everything from anti-malware protection and firewalls to identity theft prevention and phishing scam alerts.
As the world becomes more reliant on technology, cybersecurity is becoming a bigger and more important concern. People can be victimized by phishing schemes that steal personal information, and companies can lose data that is critical to their success. Critical infrastructure like power plants, hospitals and financial service providers need advanced security to prevent attacks that would disrupt or shut them down. And everyone benefits from the work of cyberthreat researchers who reveal new vulnerabilities, educate the public and strengthen open source tools to reduce attack risk for all of us.
For most businesses, cybersecurity is a never-ending challenge as cybercriminals evolve their strategies and tactics. They target all kinds of companies, from small businesses that may only have one or two IT staff members to large corporations with global footprints and vast networks. These attackers can take advantage of employees who are careless about following security procedures, disgruntled current or former workers and business partners or clients with access to company information systems.
Cyberattacks can cause serious damage, from theft of valuable data to ransomware that locks down computers and demands a fee for access or deletion. These threats are not only financially devastating for the victims but can also devastate an entire company’s reputation and lead to costly lawsuits. Increasingly, companies are turning to managed services providers to manage their cybersecurity. This allows them to focus on deploying new IT solutions, knowing that their security process will catch any potential vulnerabilities.
While having strong hardware and software defenses is vital to preventing cyberattacks, it’s just as important to train and equip employees to recognize and report potential issues. A surprisingly high number of cybersecurity breaches are due to employee negligence, and training programs that cover topics like privacy policies, password protection and incident reporting can help prevent these violations. Employees can also be helped by being given clear explanations of their roles in the company’s cybersecurity efforts and being encouraged to participate in activities that promote a culture of safety and security.
Business Continuity Planning
A business continuity plan is an organization-wide strategy establishing procedures and policies that keep a company running even when unforeseen disasters strike. These plans have a much wider scope than a disaster recovery plan, which is focused solely on restoring data and IT infrastructure after a disaster occurs. A good business continuity plan will include contingencies for all aspects of a company, including facilities, operations, human resources and other assets. These plans also help a business determine its acceptable levels of downtime and what steps it must take to resume critical functions.
A good business continuity planning process begins with a business impact analysis. This worksheet sums up the financial and operational impacts that would occur when a specific business function or process is not available. Then, the team can develop an action plan that minimizes these negative effects.
Once the plan has been created, a company can begin testing it. This is important because it ensures the plan works and identifies any areas that need improvement or revisions. This step of the process can be difficult and time consuming, but it is crucial to a business’s success. It’s also a great opportunity for companies to gather insight from people who have been through a disaster before. They will likely be happy to share their “war stories” and the steps they took to make their businesses successful.
A company’s business continuity plan should always be reviewed and updated to reflect changes to its operations or technology infrastructure. For instance, if a business moves to virtualization, it’s essential that the new environment is included in its BCP. Likewise, it’s a good idea to review cybersecurity threats regularly because they are constantly evolving. This will help a business avoid cyber attacks and other potential disasters. For example, a company should consider the risks of ransomware or hardware failures and create a plan to mitigate these risks. Additionally, a company should consider its options for managed IT services like backup and recovery to help ensure business continuity in the event of a data loss or other disruption.
