Cybersecurity Starts With Detection and Response
Geopolitical issues and the evolution of generative AI are continuously reshaping the business and IT landscape, driving changes in the risk environment. Security and risk management technical professionals must grasp the significant security trends to stay ahead. Effective cybersecurity starts with creating detection and response plans for Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs).
It Starts With The Detection
CISOs must emphasize the critical role of security detection, which serves as their organization's primary defense against cyber threats. This proactive measure offers a vital opportunity to identify and mitigate potential security breaches before they can escalate. By adopting a proactive approach to cybersecurity and adjusting to the ever-changing threat landscape, CISOs leverage effective security detection. Implementing robust detection mechanisms allows CISOs to protect their organization's digital assets, comply with regulatory standards, and preserve their reputation. This essential element of cybersecurity strategy equips CISOs with the ability to anticipate threats, reduce risk exposure, and maintain business continuity despite the challenges posed by cyber adversaries.
Organizations typically use an SIEM solution but now recognize the need for additional tools. SIEM systems perform log analysis and correlation to investigate security incidents thoroughly. Additionally, they fulfill various regulatory requirements, proving indispensable for audits, compliance, and historical forensics. Rather than replacing SIEM, security leaders see EDR and XDR as complementary capabilities, enhancing the organization's security posture.
Response
Coupling SIEM with EDR or XDR represents the best approach. EDR/XDR analyzes system, process, and user activity to identify security threats. It also offers guidance for remedying threats that elude prevention controls and facilitates investigations into endpoint threats. Typically, endpoint protection platforms incorporate EDR capabilities, delivering them through software agents that link to centralized, cloud-based security analytics and management software. Successful organizations counter new threats and covert exploits. It is essential to identify them early and react quickly. Many cyber insurers and regulators mandate the use of EDR, while some EDR solutions provide low-cost ransomware insurance.
Deciding to use EDR or XDR may depend on internal organization resources. Initial XDR adoption is primarily at organizations with smaller security teams that likely still need to utilize SIEM and SOAR products fully.
As an evolving technology, XDR aims to offer a more unified and efficient method for detecting and responding to threats, requiring minimal customization for operational efficiency. The XDR market features vendors providing tightly integrated security products that ensure common threat prevention, detection, and incident response capabilities across all commonly deployed security infrastructures. For CIOs and CISOs, the fear of vendor lock-in looms with the consolidation of security platforms into a black box system.
Trends
The nature of threats has evolved, making aiming for 100% prevention impractical. Consequently, updating older endpoint protection platforms to include EDR functionality has become essential. Advanced techniques employed by stealthy malware and ransomware campaigns, state-sponsored adversaries, and supply chain attacks aim to remain undetected and bypass outdated security controls. Furthermore, the shift towards remote work has sped up the adoption of cloud-managed solutions. CIOs and CISOs must adapt constantly to keep their organization secure.
Take look at the Secureworks cyber braketology and their 2023 state of the threat report.
