For the past few years, there seems to be a cybersecurity breach every other day. This has led businesses to believe that storing information online isn’t safe, but it can be if you implement the right protocols.
Here are a few very important ways to routinely test your security operations.
How to Test Your Company’s Cybersecurity Operations
The fastest way to test your company’s cybersecurity is to hire a certified ethical hacker or take a CEH certification training course. That way, they can conduct the following cybersecurity tests.
1. Network Testing and Vulnerability Assessments
Network testing is a broad term that refers to testing security controls across networks to find vulnerabilities and assess risks. Organizations typically test their wireless network, hardware, and ethernet, while accounting for user-specific threats, like phishing emails and access.
According to Accenture (News - Alert), 21% of all people-based incidents are from ransomware attacks, while 15% are from malicious insiders. You need to protect your network from insiders and outsiders.
Start your network tests by completing a vulnerability assessment, which searches for flaws in your network. Then, try to attack your own network with a penetration test. Finally, try random and planned red team exercises that help your IT staff test your cyber defense readiness.
2. Application Testing and Software Security
Some cybersecurity challenges should be left to the experts, while others can be addressed by just about anyone. For example, most people can update their applications to protect against vulnerabilities in the software, or they can delete these apps if they aren’t used often.
Application testing can start with a full security assessment, as these tests can help your IT cybersecurity staff see if you’re compliant with existing cybersecurity laws and guidelines.
A static source code analysis debugs an application before its execution, which may reveal operational and security flaws. A dynamic source code analysis checks how code interacts with other elements, and a manual source code review finds flaws that automatic tests may miss.
3. Social Engineering and Scam Assessments
Social engineering is when a third party manipulates another person to gain access to personal or confidential information. Phishing attacks were at an all-time high in December 2021, with over 315,000 attacks occurring in 31 days. This problem will likely continue to increase.
With that said, a phishing assessment can assess your employees’ susceptibility to phishing emails, while a vishing assessment can assess their readiness to handle a calling attempt.
A smishing assessment tests for SMS or text message attacks, while a physical breach assessment can test your business's physical security beyond the network. Employees who easily fall for social engineering schemes should be trained to notice these threats.
Other Common Cybersecurity Tests
Even if you use all the best cybersecurity platforms and conduct most of the common tests, you may need to do much more to protect your business and your systems, like the following.
4. Physical Security Walkthroughs
A physical security walkthrough can assess your systems with a basic walkaround. Your IT department can check for protected scanners, strong passcodes, among other things. If someone can gain access to your systems by simply walking up to them, that’s a problem.
5. SCADA and Embedded and ICS Testing
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition testing can penetrate your control mechanisms to ensure they can’t be used remotely. Embedded and Industrial Control System (ICS) testing can check if manufacturing systems and technology aren’t susceptible to cybersecurity attacks.
6. Board-Level Hardware Testing
Your computer hardware will stay vulnerable to attacks unless you install anti-virus software, malware protection, and firewalls. However, your IT staff may forget to test board-level security, but it’s often the place hackers will target if they can’t access your system in other ways.
