“We brought shovels to deal with the avalanche.”
This is a sentiment shared by many business leaders, particularly CISOs, CIOs, and IT leaders, who are facing today’s cybersecurity threats. Like an avalanche, it constantly changes and moves quickly and unpredictably. With the prevalence of remote and hybrid work models, leaders are having an even harder time securing all their IT assets. Because extending this metaphor, you have IT assets scattered all over the place that need to be protected.
Security tools that once felt comfortable and sufficient are no longer useful. Today’s workforce is distributed and heavily dependent on mobile devices. They trust public networks and let their kids play Minecraft on their tablets at work. They don’t want to be forced to use certain tools or devices. They are not afraid to cheat or deploy shadow IT if it helps them do their jobs more efficiently.
In other words, they are vulnerable.
Having the right tools is a step in the right direction. But that’s not enough. Mapping, managing, and securing your IT assets has never been more important or more difficult.
However, that doesn’t have to be difficult, as today’s advanced cybersecurity and IT asset management solutions are built for avalanche-prone situations.
Why and how to manage threat exposure
according to gartner, the biggest strategic trend in cybersecurity in 2023 is managing threat exposure. Gartner explains this this way: “A practical, effective, and systematic approach to continually improve your cybersecurity optimization priorities. Practice to better understand your exposure to complex threats and address posture gaps.” is evolving.”
It is clear that reactive tactics alone are not enough. Today’s IT and security leaders are under pressure to be as proactive as possible to avoid costly, damaging and time-consuming breach response processes.
If security is paramount to your business strategy (and rightfully so), it’s important to deploy solutions that address the realities of your current and future needs.
One of the best ways to accomplish this is by adopting a dynamic, scalable solution that is fully integrated with your UEM solution and built with security in mind from the beginning.
Why is built-in security important? Done correctly, it allows you to “shift left” and save resources and overhead, so you can focus on strategic tasks rather than chasing and solving problems. Conserve IT resources. Shifting to the left allows you to detect vulnerabilities early so you can get ahead of problems. It’s the same as having the ability to see around corners and take proactive action. If you can leverage automation and risk-based vulnerability intelligence, even better.
Why you need to integrate your cybersecurity platform
Another important cybersecurity trend for 2023 and beyond, according to gartner: Cybersecurity platform integration. Gartner claims that integration:
“It reduces complexity, simplifies operations, and increases employee efficiency. Organizations use fewer vendors, improve staff efficiency and integration, and get more functionality with fewer products. Now you can.”
Fewer vendors means significantly fewer administrative headaches, streamlined onboarding, potentially reduced overhead, and reduced risk of problematic gaps. Gone are the days of having to assemble a patchwork of cybersecurity support from various vendors. Current offerings include vendors offering end-to-end support in a single pane of glass.
Distributed IT assets theoretically make management more complex, but vendor consolidation can counteract that and keep things moving in the right direction.
Integrations can also eliminate the need for third-party connections. Major cybersecurity vendors such as Microsoft rely on third-party integrations (especially in non-Windows environments), which increases risk exponentially. More external parties in the ecosystem means more potential attack vectors, meaning the attack surface is larger and more complex.
If an avalanche is coming, do you need a patchwork communication and protection strategy? Or do you want everyone to be on the same page, know where everyone is, and have the same level of protection? , is it easier?
How to identify the right cybersecurity tools for 2023 and beyond
The right cybersecurity platform is scalable, user-friendly, easy to deploy and manage, and highly secure. This is true whether you are a small business or a large global conglomerate. If you’re looking to implement a comprehensive cybersecurity platform, look for one that can:
- Make informed decisions to get the most out of your IT investment.
- Minimize downtime and extend the life of your IT assets.
- Reduce costs and resources required to remediate failed audits and security breaches.
- Shrink your attack surface and reduce the risk of large-scale data breaches.
- Reduce security risks quickly and efficiently.
- Enables streamlined operations that maximize protection while minimizing manual effort.
- Strategically prioritize key vulnerabilities.
- Reserve IT resources for the most important tasks.
- Improve IT responsiveness by addressing security threats before they become problems.
If that seems like too much to ask of a cybersecurity platform, you might be looking in the wrong place.
When facing unpredictable forces, whether those forces are in the mountains or in a cyber threat environment, having the right tools is critical. (Ask anyone who has ever taken a shovel into an avalanche.) Prevent, manage, mitigate, and respond wisely. Your safety depends on it.