Cyber security assessment better helps the CIOs about their system’s and network’s cyber health.
Why Essential?
A cyber security assessment can be likened to an overall health checkup. Regular checkups with your doctor ensure optimum health. Also, it lets you know which areas of your body need more protection. Or somehow vulnerable.
Not to mention the plague diseases could bring to one’s health. For instance, a disease can unknowingly grow within your body’s system.
The same thing goes for your organization’s system and network. A cyber security assessment helps the CIOs know how well their cyber defenses are doing.
Moreover, the need for regular and optimum cyber health is increasing. That is because of the influx of cyber crime rates, all around the globe. For example, data breaches, malware attacks, and phishing. These cyber crimes all headline business news.
These cyber crimes are like viruses and health plagues. They can ruin your whole system and network. And therefore your business.
So knowing these, what are the crucial steps of a cyber risk assessment?
How To Do Cyber Risk Assessment?
Before heading on to the main steps, one should know the following:
- Type of data you have
- How much data you do have
- Where and how you store data
- The period of keeping data
- Who has access to this data?
- Security of data storage
These and more should be in connection with the kind of infrastructure you have. In line with this, before doing the assessment, consider the parameters also.
The following factors may help.
- Define the objectives of the assessment
- Lay the scope of the assessment
- Identify if there are priorities or constraints. Of which may affect the assessment process
- Communicate with the person in the organization who has a holistic knowledge of your system and networks
- Any risk models you might use
Furthermore, being able to define and analyze these factors should better help your analysis. Now take a look at the following steps that can serve as your template.
In Steps
Information Value Identification
This is when you calculate the value of your data. So you will know how well you should manage them. Also, know how much it will cost you losing them, for instance.
Identify & Prioritize Assets
In addition, prioritizing assets is important for your assessments. But before that, make sure to identify all of these first. Creating a list should help you not miss one.
Cyber Threats Analysis
Know the threats that your system is exposed to. Aside from this, threats also come from natural disasters, system failure, and human errors. Not to mention third party threats.
Know Your Vulnerabilities
Vulnerabilities are your system’s weak points. Handling analysis may help. Thereafter you can develop your patches.
Existing & New Controls
Existing controls may present more vulnerabilities. So it’s also wise to consider changing your controls, when necessary.
Probability Of Occurrence
After knowing the assets and their value, you should also know the percentage of the occurrence.
Document Results
Finally, the whole assessment should be neatly and properly documented. Also, you can use the same template for your next assessment,
