The Philippines faces a rise in cyberattacks, particularly ransomware. A 2023 Fortinet-IDC Asia Pacific SecOps Survey revealed a surge in ransomware attacks, often delivered through phishing emails and malware. These attacks are crippling businesses and government agencies.
Cyberthreats are constantly evolving, making basic security measures like firewalls and antivirus software insufficient. Imagine a well-fortified castle. The walls and loyal guards might have been sufficient in the past, but imaginative and resourceful thieves will eventually find their way in. The same is true in the digital world. Organizations need cyber resilience. They need a robust combination of technology, people and well-defined processes to defend against ever-changing threats.
Faced with this growing threat landscape, organizations must prioritize building robust cybersecurity resilience. This resilience should enable them to withstand attacks, bounce back from breaches and keep their data safe. Cybersecurity leader Fortinet offers key strategies to achieve this essential goal.
Train people
Employees are the first line of defense. Make sure everyone in the organization knows how to identify and avoid cyberthreats. This is crucial. Conduct regular training sessions and simulations to ensure everyone understands cyberthreats and the best practice to prevent them.
Break down walls
Encourage communication between departments, especially those within network operations center (NOC) and security operations center (SOC). Collaborate and share threat information with relevant agencies and entities. This would facilitate quick detection and response.
Close the skills gap
Invest in continuous training and skill enhancements for your security team. Hire cybersecurity professionals from underrepresented communities such as veterans, women and students.
Below are strategies to take cybersecurity a step further
Cultivate a robust cybersecurity culture. Always prioritize security in your organization by fostering a culture of awareness and education. Regular training sessions, phishing simulations and engaging awareness programs can keep employees informed about the latest threats and best practices. Consider incorporating AI-powered tools, gamification and reward systems to make learning interactive and effective.
Foster collaboration between departments especially between IT and security teams. Automate incident response, prioritize alerts, and initiate predefined actions. This fosters quicker, more coordinated responses to threats and reduces response time.
Invest in AI and automation to stay ahead of cyberthreats. Consider an integrated security platform that seamlessly combines next-generation firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, endpoint protection, and SIEM solutions. AI and machine learning technologies within these platforms can significantly enhance threat detection and response. Automated response can take immediate action against identified threats, minimizing the burden on security teams and ensuring rapid incident response.
Lastly, constant vigilance is essential. Maintaining cyber resilience requires regular updates and rigorous testing of security measures. Automate patch management to ensure all systems and applications are always up-to-date with the latest security fixes. Leverage AI-powered security monitoring for continuous threat detection and response. Conduct regular drills and tabletop exercises - virtual simulations where participants respond to hypothetical cyber incidents - to assess your response plan's effectiveness and identify areas of improvement.
Remember, cybersecurity is a never-ending fight. Protect your organization from today's threats and be prepared for tomorrow by building a strong cyber resilience strategy.