6 strategies to strengthen cyber resilience in a digital age

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Did you know the ITRC reported 2,365 cyberattacks in 2023? Therefore, senior leaders must build strong cyber resilience to fortify data security. That’ll be your ability to swiftly recover, respond, and identify security incidents.

PwC notes that only 2% of organizations implement firm-wide cyber resilience. This can be attributed to challenges like lack of awareness, complex IT environments, and resource constraints.

Furthermore, Statista reports that 18.83% of all breaches happen due to an unsecured network.

Evidently, business leaders must find robust and resilient chat platforms that support secure communication and collaboration before, during, and after cyber crises.

This post will cover the aspects, strategies, and challenges of cyber resilience—let’s begin!

6 major aspects of cyber resilience

IBM data suggests that as of 2024, a single data breach could cost up to USD 4.88 million—a 10% increase since 2023. Data also indicates that this is the highest total in history.

All this points us toward the need for cyber resilience to secure data proficiency and continue business operations with little downtime. It helps mitigate financial loss, gain customer trust, and increase competitive advantage.

All that is possible because of the following aspects of cyber resilience:

1. Threat detection and monitoring

The importance of unrelenting threat detection cannot be overstated. For this, leaders may employ advanced methods like continuous monitoring of systems.

Employing advanced methods (AI and ML technologies) will help analyze network traffic and logs to detect any anomalies. Hence, it minimizes the threats that go undetected.

2. Incident response and recovery plans

An incident response strategy can essentially reduce downtime by reacting quickly to attacks. This well-structured plan should include:

Predefined protocols
Isolation of compromised systems
Swift remediation procedures

3. Data backup and recovery

In May 2020, Spectra Logic survived a ransomware attack without paying anything because it had ‘backups of its backups.’ This incident proves the importance of regular backups in a data recovery plan for robust cyber resilience.

Organizations must implement automated backup solutions to safeguard their data during or after a cyberattack.

4. Employee awareness and training

Keeping your staff educated about security threats and phishing attacks is important. This way, they’ll learn the best practices for positive cyber hygiene.

For all that, you’ll need workplace team communication. It’ll help employees keep track of the fundamentals to enhance the company’s security. Seamless collaboration can also solidify training sessions and help them recognize potential threats and respond accordingly.

5. Strong access control and authentication

To bulletproof your organization’s security perimeter, enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) and use role-based access tools to maximize cyber resilience.

Microsoft reports that 99.9% of compromised accounts didn’t have an MFA in place, causing vulnerabilities for sensitive data.

The right access control and authentication can help you enhance security and reduce data breaches.

6. Collaboration and communication tools

Shifting online business conversations to the most secure messaging apps can ensure business operation maintenance during cyber incidents.

For instance, Rocket.Chat comes with robust access control measures that give you role-based permissions to manage sensitive data. The GDPR and HIPAA compliance also solidifies the app’s integrity. Such tools can:

Facilitate collaboration
Secure sensitive company data
Ensure better coordination among team members

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5 challenges in achieving cyber resilience

When companies increase their dependency on data, the frequency and complexity of cyber threats multiply. For instance, the same ITRC report also found a 72% increase in data breaches since 2021.

A 2024 report by Cohesity mentions that companies have blatantly overestimated their cyber resilience. This has led to business continuity issues. For example, 7/10 security leaders had to pay the ransom even with internal policies.

Fueling this vulnerability are several key challenges:

1. Business continuity planning

Lack of recovery plans can hamper operations and lead to prolonged downtime. Not having clear restoration and incident response protocols can also cause financial losses.

2. Complexity of threats

Cyberattacks have become increasingly sophisticated and advanced, making it hard for companies to keep up. Organizations must be vigilant and adaptive to ensure effective cyber resilience.

3. Budget constraints

Companies face financial issues when it comes to cybersecurity investments. McKinsey says that many leaders only provide a fraction of the IT budget for this, leaving cybersecurity underfunded.

4. Integration with legacy systems

Older systems lack compatibility with contemporary cybersecurity solutions. If not aligned properly, these mismatched systems can lead to vulnerabilities.

5. User awareness

A data exposure at Pegasus Airlines occurred due to a cloud misconfiguration by a negligent employee. Learning from this, companies must ensure employees follow security protocols to avoid risky behavior. This can be achieved through proper education, training, and more.

6 strategies to build cyber resilience

According to IBISWorld, the American IT security consulting industry grew at a 3.8% CAGR, reaching USD 17.6 billion.

This statistic proves that you’ll have a wide range of options.

Along with the tools, you must also follow these strategies to build robust cyber resilience:

1. Adopt a zero-trust architecture (ZTA)

Zero-trust cybersecurity doesn’t trust any user or device unless they are verified. With this, you’ll follow a ‘never trust, always verify’ approach.

Anyone who signs onto your system will be authenticated and authorized before resources are shared. With ZTA, you can:

Minimize the attack surface.
Enforce least-privileged access controls.
Ensure necessary user permissions to perform tasks.
Continuously monitor user behavior and device integrity.

2. Implement a comprehensive incident response plan (CIRP)

S&P Global suggests that 42.7% of businesses have a response plan and test it out every year. To create a robust CIRP, you must:

Define the incident types.
Establish a dedicated response team.
Assign clear roles and responsibilities.

Once done, you can outline the response phases, which include preparation, detection, eradication, containment, and recovery. The plan can also have post-incident analysis that includes regular testing updates for evolving threats.

To get everything in place, you must have a robust communication strategy. An encrypted and easy-to-use work chat app like Rocket.Chat can keep everyone informed about security incidents. You should also regularly review and update the incident response plan with real-time communication tools.

3. Create a cyber resilience culture

A robust cyber resilience comes from awareness among various teams across the organization. For that, you must:

Conduct regular training sessions.
Educate employees about cybersecurity threats.
Encourage open communication about best practices.
Highlight security concerns for each team.

To foster a proactive mindset, consider creating online chat rooms to report suspicious activities and strengthen the organization’s defenses. These platforms will keep everyone (non-technical and IT departments) on a single page about phishing scams and emerging threats.

4. Invest in regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments

What if your company has never faced a cyber threat before? That doesn’t mean you forgo a cyber resilience plan.

Regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments are proactive measures to help remediate and identify security weaknesses. Here’s how they work:

Stimulates real-world attacks.
Helps organizations evaluate defenses and fix vulnerabilities.
Ensures compliance with industry standards.

5. Ensure data backup and disaster recovery (BDR)

To solidify business continuity, you must regularly back up data in secure and offsite locations. It protects the sensitive information from being lost during a cyberattack. Consider investing in an automated solution for periodic backups.

A well-defined BDR in your cyber resilience plan comes with the following:

Outlined procedures for restoring operations.
Plan to minimize downtime by maintaining redundant systems.
Ways to ensure access to vital information.

6. Deploy secure communication tools

Did you know that one way to fortify remote work cybersecurity is through secure collaboration tools? Organizations can deploy these end-to-end encrypted tools with robust authentication.

To find the best platforms, remember to follow these tips:

Select instant messaging platforms that ensure data protection (secure email and messaging services)
The tool must prevent unauthorized access through regular updates and employee training on security practices.

To maintain cyber resilience, the communication tool must maintain confidentiality and integrity. This way, you can safeguard sensitive data from potential cyber threats.

To end with

Cyber resilience can indeed safeguard business continuity and ensure a swift recovery from cyberattacks even with the challenges.

Secure collaboration tools like Rocket.Chat helps enhance cyber resilience. It places data privacy as a priority while making communication with colleagues, partners, and vendors secure. Also, it facilitates real-time communication across various devices, including web, desktop, and mobile.

Here’s how Rocket.Chat can prevent any critical cyber incidents from occurring:

Control data sovereignty as it uses an air-gapped network (isolated computer network)
Secure conversations for better user awareness
Zero-trust architecture
GDPR and HIPAA compliance
Incident response coordination
Secure file sharing
AI-powered threat detection
End-to-end encryption
Data loss prevention
Two-factor authentication (2FA)
Supports over 100 integrations with popular tools and allows for the creation of custom applications

Leaders can also ensure user awareness, better cyber resilience, and data backup in a zero-trust atmosphere with Rocket.Chat.

To learn more, schedule a demo now!