Cyber Security Assessment: Protecting More Than Just Data

Cyberattacks are a significant risk for organizations of all sizes, although many businesses still believe they are immune to such threats and that cyberattacks won’t happen to them.

A cybersecurity assessment is the first step in identifying any weaknesses in an organization’s security. It helps businesses understand what is really happening within their systems and uncover potential risks before they become serious problems.

Why Cyber Security Assessments Are Crucial

At its core, a cyber security assessment evaluates your current security environment. It helps to answer an important question: Are your systems and data protected against the growing landscape of cyber threats?

A solid assessment provides a snapshot of your organization's security posture. It reveals areas where you may be exposed to risks, whether through gaps in your policies, outdated technologies, or overlooked misconfigurations.

Many companies operate under the assumption that their security measures are enough, or they feel that they are immune to attacks. However, cyber threats constantly evolve, and no system is completely invulnerable. The only way to be sure that you’re adequately protected is to regularly assess your security measures and identify potential weak spots before they become a real issue.

What is Cyber Risk?

Cyber risk is the potential for harm to an organization due to vulnerabilities in its digital infrastructure. It includes:

• Loss, damage, or disruption caused by cyber threats such as attacks, data breaches, or system compromises.
• Unauthorized access to systems and data, which can lead to sensitive information being exposed.
• Operational interruptions, such as downtime or loss of service, which can affect business continuity.
• Data loss or system failure, resulting in the loss of important files or a breakdown in operations.

How a Cyber Security Assessment Works

A comprehensive cyber security assessment involves several key steps to evaluate your security infrastructure and policies. It’s not a one-time activity but an ongoing process that should be revisited regularly to stay ahead of evolving threats.

Here’s an overview of what a typical cybersecurity assessment looks like in practice:

Review of Access Control Policies

One of the first steps in any security assessment is determining whether your company follows the principle of least privilege. Are employees, contractors, and service accounts only granted access to the data and systems necessary for their roles? Without strong access controls, unauthorized individuals could gain access to sensitive information.

Session Logging and Monitoring

Another critical step is ensuring that user sessions are properly logged and monitored.

• Do you know when someone last logged in to your systems?
• Are you tracking any unusual or unauthorized activity?

Without proper logging, it’s difficult to identify suspicious behavior or detect potential breaches.

Cloud Infrastructure Evaluation

For organizations leveraging cloud infrastructure, evaluating the configuration and security of your cloud environment is essential.

For example, have you implemented a shared Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)? Do you have a system in place for tagging and labelling resources for better organization and monitoring?

Data Protection and Encryption

Another key part of a cyber security assessment involves properly protecting your data. This includes checking that data is encrypted both at rest and in transit and ensuring that you have a strong data loss prevention (DLP) system in place to guard against accidental or malicious data breaches.

Policy and Authentication Review

A strong organizational security policy is the backbone of a secure environment, so evaluating your company’s internal security protocols is crucial. Adopting keyless authentication methods can also strengthen security by reducing the risk of compromised credentials.

These steps help you understand whether your organization is truly protected against common vulnerabilities or if there are any gaps that need to be addressed.

The Challenges of Manual Cyber Security Assessments

While the steps listed above form the backbone of a security assessment, performing these tasks manually can be time-consuming and error-prone. It’s easy to overlook critical issues or misconfigurations when you rely on manual checks, especially in larger environments with more complex systems.

For instance, reviewing user roles and permissions can take days or even weeks if done manually, depending on the size and complexity of your organization. Even after spending that time, the results are often inaccurate or incomplete, leaving blind spots that attackers could ultimately exploit.

Common misconfigurations, such as over-permissioned service accounts or open ports in your firewall (like port 22 for SSH or 3389 for RDP), are easy to overlook in a manual assessment.

While these mistakes might seem simple, they provide an easy entry point for attackers. For example, if service accounts are given more permissions than necessary, attackers who gain access to those accounts can quickly escalate privileges, potentially compromising your entire network.

Cyber Security Assessment Tool

Automated tools like the Security Command Center (Enterprise) (SCC-E) can significantly speed up and improve the quality of the cyber security assessment. By automating the assessment process, SCC provides continuous monitoring and near real-time alerts, allowing organizations to respond to threats quickly and accurately.

By providing near-instant visibility, SCC allows security teams to act fast, reducing the potential impact of any breach.

Proactive Security is Better Than Reactive Security

A cybersecurity assessment is essential for any organization that wants to protect itself from increasing cyber threats. By evaluating your security environment, identifying vulnerabilities, and monitoring compliance, you gain the visibility you need to stay secure.

At Crystalloids, we help you conduct thorough cybersecurity assessments but also assist with the implementation of SCC-E. 

Request a free demo today to see how our solutions can strengthen your security posture and keep you ahead of potential risks.