NEWS BODY:
As cyberthreats continue to evolve and pose a significant risk to organizations, the need for cyber resilience has become more crucial than ever. Traditional cybersecurity measures are no longer sufficient in combating the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks and the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) as a threat. In order to effectively mitigate cyber risks and safeguard human lives, organizations must implement a comprehensive cyber resilience strategy.
Avanade, a leading global provider of cybersecurity solutions, has identified seven key pillars that encompass a robust cyber resilience strategy. These pillars serve as a guide for organizations to prepare, respond, and recover from cyber incidents effectively.
The first pillar emphasizes the importance of a unified risk management framework that aligns compliance and cybersecurity objectives. By conducting comprehensive risk assessments, organizations can identify potential vulnerabilities and threats. This includes assessing digital infrastructure, AI-related threats, systems, and compliance requirements. With this knowledge, organizations can implement preventive measures and develop strategies for risk mitigation.
Building resilient infrastructure is the second pillar, which involves creating robust networks, systems, and technologies capable of withstanding and recovering from cyberattacks. This includes employing a multi-layered defense, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, encryption, and secure authentication mechanisms. Resilient infrastructure should also incorporate continuous monitoring, ransomware-safe backups, and disaster recovery plans.
Human error remains a leading cause of cyber breaches, making the third pillar crucial: empowering employees with cybersecurity education and awareness training. By adopting human-centric security design practices, organizations can minimize cybersecurity-induced friction and improve control adoption. This includes developing cyber awareness programs to educate stakeholders about common cyber threats and data protection best practices.
The fourth pillar highlights the importance of partnerships between hyperscalers (Microsoft, Google, AWS), government entities, and academia. These partnerships streamline information sharing, co-innovation, and enable proactive threat detection. They also foster talent development, technological advancements, and policy improvements.
The fusion of data transparency and encryption is the fifth pillar, which protects against current and evolving threats. Data transparency provides businesses with a comprehensive understanding of the data landscape, including access levels and data intent. Encryption transforms data into coded information, preventing unauthorized access. Organizations must encrypt data while it is in transit, at rest, and during processing.
Defensive AI techniques form the sixth pillar, leveraging AI to proactively identify, mitigate, and prevent cyberthreats. These techniques analyze patterns, predict vulnerabilities, and automate responses, strengthening the security infrastructure.
Lastly, organizations must adopt a risk-adjusted secure software supply chain (SSSC) as the seventh pillar. This includes embedding security in each phase of the software development life cycle (SDLC) and implementing software bill of material (SBOM) with governance. By securing software integrity from design to delivery, organizations can effectively mitigate threats.
As cyberthreats continue to evolve, organizations must adapt swiftly to protect trust and safeguard human lives. By implementing these key pillars, organizations can better protect individuals, maintain critical systems’ integrity, and mitigate the potentially devastating consequences of cyberattacks. Let us prioritize the safety and well-being of human lives by building a cyber-resilient future.
