Cybersecurity, noun, is defined as:
- precautions taken to guard against crime that involves the internet, especially unauthorized access to computer systems and data connected to the internet.
- computing the state of being safe from electronic crime and the measures taken to achieve this.
- the state of being protected against such crime.
What does that really mean?
Well, in its most simple form, it is ‘doing what it takes to protect your internet-accessible technical environment and company owned assets from being compromised by external attackers’. This encompasses a multitude of ways to accomplish protecting your infrastructure. To aid with this, there are several governing agencies that define the processes for handling cybersecurity in your organization.
One such agency is the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Last month, NIST published a set of new tools, titled Special Publication 800-172, to help organizations with better securing their systems from state-sponsored hackers, commonly referred to as advanced persistent threats (APTs). In the publication, NIST outlines how IT administrators can design their networks to better protect company assets and which security best practices to follow that will provide additional layers of protection.
While this publication heavily focuses on governmental agencies, the toolset can help any organization be better protected to withstand attacks from APTs.
Does your organization have a Cybersecurity Policy? We’re here to help.
Article provided by Darryl Brauss, vCIO