Preface
Greetings, fellow cybersecurity enthusiasts! Welcome to the world of cyber resilience, where the goal is to build a security program that enables your organization to not only withstand cyber-attacks but also to recover swiftly. As the United States Department of Homeland Security aptly defines it, cyber resiliency is the “ability to resist, absorb, recover from or successfully adapt to adversity or a change in conditions.”1 It’s not just a process; it’s an ultimate state of readiness. An organization achieves resilience when it can bounce back from any disruption, be it a ransomware attack or any other cyber threat, without major disruptions.
1 (Schwien and Jamison)
In today’s landscape, cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and prevalent. In the book Big Breaches2, it is highlighted that the root causes of nearly every data breach can be traced to six key factors:
2 (Daswani, 15)
- Unencrypted data
- Phishing attacks
- Malware
- Third-party vendor compromise
- Software vulnerabilities
- Unintended misconfigurations
In this book, we will explore practical safeguards that you can implement immediately to defend against these root causes of data breaches. These safeguards will not only enhance your information security program but also make it cyber-resilient, ready to face the latest threats. We’ll delve into some of the most significant cyber-attacks in recent history and discuss what could have been done to prevent or mitigate their impact. Most importantly, this book will guide you on how to transform your network into a cyber-resilient fortress, ensuring your organization’s ability to recover swiftly from any cyber-attack.
This book takes you on a journey, partly fictional, where you’ll witness a catastrophic cyber attack on BigCo and see how Megan, the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), responds decisively. Megan’s actions will stop the attack, initiate responses, and put measures in place to prevent future attacks. As the saying goes, it’s not a matter of if your company will be cyber-attacked, but when. Chapters 1 to 10 will provide you with foundational tools to prepare for and respond to cyber-attacks. Chapters 11 to 14 will elevate your company’s IT security program to the next level of cyber resilience. You’ll find step-by-step guidance on implementing the necessary safeguards in your security program, whether your organization is small, medium, or large. Each chapter focuses on a specific safeguard, and the good news is that the steps you’ll learn here not only form the foundation of cyber defense but also assist your organization in meeting various compliance frameworks, standards, and laws while becoming cyber-resilient.
