Cybersecurity has been a hot topic amongst organizations of all sizes as cyber threats continue to emerge and show no signs of slowing down. Cybercriminals consistently target anyone that they can get their hands on with some estimates stating that there are as many as 300,000 new pieces of malware being created each day. Not only do organizations have to protect themselves against individual threat actors but now with the relatively recent geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine have led organizations to double down on their cyber security policies and procedures.
The need for effective cybersecurity policies and procedures is on the rise with an estimation that 54% of businesses now have at least one policy designed to combat ransomware attacks. Unfortunately for organizations, cybercrime and ransomware attacks are dynamic and constantly changing, and with it so should policy strategies.
Despite an organization’s best efforts, there is always still a good possibility of experiencing a ransomware attack, and with this in mind organizations should establish damage mitigation efforts by ensuring that employees only have access to data that is essential to the task they are assigned to. Eliminating non-essential authorization can greatly reduce damage to the organization in the event of a ransomware attack.
On top of this, identifying vulnerabilities can greatly reduce the odds of a ransomware attack occurring. Organizations should undergo a risk assessment to have 360-degree situational awareness of potential risks and vulnerabilities. The road to perfect risk management is a long and nearly impossible one to go down. By conducting a risk assessment, organizations can prioritize the most dangerous of risks and put small risks on the back burner.
Data security and data privacy have also been a hot topic for regulatory bodies as of the past many years. With this in mind, it is pivotal that organizations understand and begin developing measures to ensure effective compliance to best mitigate the potential for fines and reputational damage.
Leveraging Policy Management to be Prepared
Establishing policies and procedures can greatly enhance the effectiveness and agility of an organization’s cybersecurity and data privacy framework. Policies must be written, reviewed, and communicated effectively to ensure that employees, clients, and third parties all abide by their guidelines to properly manage cyber and data security. After the writing and implementation process, it is pivotal that policies are followed, and a robust training program is implemented to ensure that employees understand what is expected of them.
Oftentimes, organizations develop a series of quizzes or tests to determine an employee's understanding. Once policies are established and effectively communicated it is important that those policies are continuously monitored. Policies can quickly become out-of-date especially within the realm of cybersecurity. With this in mind, assessments should be continuously made of current policies to determine their effectiveness and if revision is needed.
The DocTract Cloud Platform is an efficient, ready-to-use tool that is built by experts that know how to make the journey towards effective policy management easy for you and your organization. DocTract provides an unparalleled experience for organizations of all sizes and assists in building an optimal Policy Management System with transparent pricing and rapid implementation.
