Prevention is always better than remedy, especially when managing data, systems, software, and networks. By proactively utilizing best practices, it is feasible to enhance your supply chain’s security. Some of these practices include:
• Security Awareness Training: You must train all employees about how even a minor mistake on their part could critically jeopardize security. Since employees are usually the first line of defense against cyberattacks, they must be given sufficient training to distinguish and avoid any possible threats. Planning and implementing an effective security awareness training program should not be a one-time event. It should take place at regular intervals to ensure all stakeholders are on the same page.
• Data Classification: Data classification allows you to identify data, segment it according to its worth and assign security to each data type. The bottom line is that if you do not know your data thoroughly — especially the information that rests in your supply chain — you will struggle immensely at securing it.
• Access Control: Allowing an access control gateway lets only authenticated users access your business data, including users that are part of your supply chain. With robust authentication and authorization protocols in place, you can reduce the chances of sensitive data getting compromised. While authentication verifies whether the user is whom they claim to be, authorization verifies whether a user has access to a particular type of data. Hence, both hold equal importance when implementing a robust access control strategy.
• Monitoring: Given the invasive and inevitable nature of security threats, a quick reaction time is necessary to your supply chain security effectiveness. Hence, automated and consistent monitoring is vital for rapid detection and response to an attack. You must gather and dissect relevant data to recognize suspicious activity or dubious system changes within your organization. You can pre-define acceptable behavior on the monitoring system, and if breached, the system will trigger an alert.
• Endpoint Protection: Endpoint protection ensures that end-user gadgets are protected against nefarious cybercriminals. Cybercriminals are getting more proficient at identifying the most vulnerable point within your network. In most cases, it turns out to be an end-user device on your network or even devices on your third-party partner’s network. Therefore, securing endpoints is crucial to reinforcing the security of your business and your supply chain.
• Patch Management: Security gaps left wide open due to inept patch management can leave your business vulnerable to cyberattacks. Whenever a new patch gets delivered, it is essential that you deploy it immediately. Failing to do so could give cybercriminals a clear passage to circumvent their defenses.
• Routine Scanning: Routine vulnerability scanning is a collaborative process to test, recognize, examine and reveal potential security threats (internal and external). Automating these scans, so they are conducted accurately and regularly without investing a lot of time and effort will work wonders.
• Network Segmentation: Once you dissect your business’ network or segment it into smaller units, you can control data movement between segments and secure each part from one another. Moreover, automating the process can help you smartly restrict suspicious entities (both internal and external) from gaining access to vital information or data.
• Managed Detection and Response: MDR is an economically feasible service that helps you with in-depth threat detection and response. Threat hunting, which is part of this service, helps you with deep research and analysis of vulnerabilities, thus allowing you to deal strategically with cyber threats.
Adopt These Best Practices Before It’s Too Late
When it comes to supply chain security, the best practices mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg of what you should do to avoid security incidents. Enlisting the help of an MSP can help you stay ahead of the curve since they have the experience and expertise to shore up your business’ security. Ensure your business is protected. Contact us for a free network scan to ensure that your data is secure. Give us a call at 855-647-3835 or email us at info@phxtc.com
Article curated and used by permission.