Creating a robust cyber security plan for your business.
The size, scope, and solutions attached to your cyber security plan will be directly linked to your business operations and objectives. While creating a plan in business is imperative, remember that the true solution lies in its implementation.
Assessing your cyber risk level
Of course, you can’t create a cyber security plan without first assessing what cyber risk level your business operates at. To make it easy, however, we generally assume that every business operates at a medium to high cyber risk level, owing to the nature of our online world and business operations. For that reason, our guide to developing your business’ cyber security plan is generalised in scope. Just how much risk is your business is willing to ‘eat’, however, can only be defined through a full investigation and understanding of your business’ operations and objectives.
The foundation of your cyber security plan
There are four main principles upon which your business’ cyber security plan must be built. These foundational principles set your company’s approach towards cyber security, enabling you to build and implement a robust plan. These include:
- A proactive response to cyber security: Your business plans for the inevitable cyber security incident, ahead of time. No matter how ‘small’ the incident may be, you’ve thought of it before it happens.
- A no side-effects approach to cyber security: Implementing your cyber security plan will have no negative effect on your business’ operations, and your team’s ability to achieve the business objectives. Your business’ cyber security plan enhances your operations, and does not hinder the day-to-day experience within your business.
- Documentation is divine: Every part of your business’ cyber security plan is well-documented and kept up to date. Moreover, the relevant elements of it are shared in an appropriate, and easy to understand way with each member of your team.
- A risk management mindset: No matter what type of business you are in, cyber risk is real. Managing and mitigating the risks that exist for your business is paramount.
The nuts and bolts of your cyber security plan
There are eight fundamental elements that make up your plan:
- Your cyber risk level: Understanding your business’ cyber risk level, and how that affects the way your team works is vitally important.
- Your compliance procedures: The policies and procedures that must be followed at every level of your organisation, to ensure your robust cyber security plan is well implemented at every stage.
- Your security measures: The assets, systems, and structures that are used to provide your business with a secure working environment.
- Your assets: The equipment, information, and assets your business has, that must be protected as best as possible, through your cyber security plan.
- Your assessment of potential threats: What possible threats does your business face through its operations, that heighten your cyber risk level? Which of these potential threats pose the highest danger to your business, and which ones pose the lowest danger?
- Your response procedures: How will your business respond to a cyber security incident, attack, or slip-up in a procedure?
- Your cyber security objectives: Adopting a risk management mindset to your business’ cyber security plan will mean setting milestones or goals, to ensure that the plan is implemented, maintained, and updated, as and when required.
- Your framework: Selecting a framework for your cyber security plan will include catering for: business objective requirements, legislative requirements, and compliance procedures.
Of course, a top-notch plan is important, but the true magic lies in its implementation. For help in how to implement your business’ cyber security plan, contact ProPrivacy.
Philipa is the lead consultant and auditor at ProPrivacy. With clients as far afield as Canada, South Africa, Kenya, Germany, Spain and other such exotic locations, besides Cork and elsewhere in Ireland, Philipa enjoys a broad view of the state of data protection, privacy and cyber security worldwide. Philipa’s passion is manageable data compliance for SMEs.
Philipa is a qualified teacher besides holding a computer science (Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence Programming) and electronic and intellectual property law (LLB) qualified. She is trained in constitutional (fundamental) rights litigation and enjoys a good debate.
Philipa has over twenty years of experience working in different sized organisations and sectors on operational, governance, risk management and compliance matters. She is an analytical and focused person that enjoys a challenge in the workplace. She loves technology, systems and people and has a passion for showing people how technology can make life easier and better. She understands that the world is driven by data today but privacy is paramount. Responsibly developed AI excites Philipa for the future.