Author: Nicholas M. Hughes

Welcome to the future!

… So, where’s my hoverboard?

Yes, it’s 2023, and the world of cybersecurity is a rapidly evolving landscape that’s constantly changing and adapting to new technologies and threats. As a decision-maker in this industry, it’s essential to stay ahead of the curve and be prepared for anything. But don’t worry - with a little bit of knowledge and some smart choices, you can navigate this world with ease.

Keep Your Eyes and Ears Open

To start, it’s important to stay informed about the latest trends and developments in the cybersecurity world. This can include reading industry publications, attending conferences, and participating in online communities. Podcasts are a great way to stay on top of the latest cybersecurity news while doing other things.

By staying up-to-date, you’ll be able to anticipate new threats and vulnerabilities and be prepared to respond before they become a major problem. This is also one of the hardest things to do. There is a constant onslaught of information in this industry. Find a content delivery mechanism that works for you and stick with it. Another great way to stay informed is to collaborate with other companies and organizations to share resources for threat intelligence and best practices.

In addition to staying informed, it’s crucial to prioritize threat hunting and incident response capabilities to detect and respond to threats quickly. Having a solid incident response plan in place means having a clear understanding of the steps you’ll take in the event of a cyber attack and having a system for reporting and documenting any incidents that occur. This can mean the difference between a minor inconvenience and a major disaster, so ensure you have an incident response plan in place - and that your team is well-trained on it.

It’s also important to have a clear understanding of your overall security posture and to regularly assess your systems and processes to identify any potential weak points. This can include conducting regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments, as well as using tools like vulnerability management, compliance management, and threat intelligence platforms to identify potential threats before they become a problem. Adopt a proactive security strategy through continuous monitoring and auditing to identify potential vulnerabilities and mitigate them before they can be exploited.

Invest Wisely

Investing in the right tools and technologies is crucial to stay competitive in cybersecurity. This can include using firewalls to automatically block known malicious IP addresses, deploying AI-powered security tools to identify and respond to threats in real-time, or using encryption to protect sensitive data. Implementing a Zero-Trust security model that assumes that all traffic is untrusted and verifies the identity and context of all users and devices is another worthy investment moving forward into the future.

Another factor to consider is having a well-trained and knowledgeable team of employees. This means providing regular training sessions, encouraging staff to stay informed about the latest trends and threats in the cybersecurity world, and fostering a culture of vigilance and awareness. A well-informed and vigilant team can help you detect and respond to threats before they become a problem.

But perhaps the biggest trend in cybersecurity right now is automation. Automating your security processes can help you keep up with the rapid pace of change in the tech world and free up valuable time and resources for other tasks. Automation can look like automating your incident response plan, using automation tools to help identify and respond to threats, or using automation tools to help manage and monitor your security systems.

Implementing a robust security automation and orchestration system improves efficiency and reduces the risk of human error.

Keep Calm and Palm the Balm

Being competitive in cybersecurity is all about staying ahead of the curve and being prepared for whatever comes your way. With the right tools and technologies, a well-trained team, and a solid understanding of your overall security posture, you’ll be in the clear drinking a beer (just showcasing my rhyming skills). So go forth, be cyber-tastic, and always remember: stay informed, stay prepared, and don’t be afraid to automate!

Nicholas Hughes helps businesses integrate cloud and cybersecurity automation into their IT lifecycle processes in order to amplify the efforts of the existing workforce, prevent employee burnout, and free them to do the more important tasks that might be currently neglected. As part of his daily duties as a founding partner and CEO of EITR Technologies LLC., he’s responsible for all of those super awesome elements of the CEO job that you read about as a kid, like setting the strategic direction of the company and modeling corporate values. Additionally, Nick still performs technical consulting work with specializations in Automation & Orchestration, Cloud Infrastructure, Cloud Security, and Systems Architecture. He has nearly 20 years of experience in a wide breadth of roles within Information Technology, which is invaluable to clients seeking comprehensive technical solutions to business problems. Nick highly values pragmatism, logical thinking, and integrity in both his business and personal life… which is a decidedly boring set of core values that reap great results when applied to the task at hand. He also has a wonderful wife and two boys who keep him on his toes.