4 min read

Going steady in crisis-mode: Why your SOC needs a cybersecurity contingency plan

As the world plunges deeper into the chaos brought about by COVID-19, we’re witnessing unprecedented changes in the workplace, specifically in terms of how businesses function in times of crisis. Especially relevant is the cybersecurity contingency plan that organisations are now leveraging to keep their resources safe as employees work from home or completely stop work altogether.

If you’re on lockdown and are wondering how you can keep your operations risk-free in this increasingly vulnerable and precarious point in time, here are a few things you need to consider as part of your cybersecurity contingency plan.

DO YOU HAVE SECURITY MONITORING DEPLOYED WHILE STAFF WORK REMOTELY?

If security monitoring for your systems is crucial when you’re fully operational and everything is as it should be, it’s doubly important during times like these, when CIOs fret about the risks and dangers of WFH arrangements.

With the coronavirus pandemic forcing people to retreat into their homes, businesses have had to adapt and ask employees to work off personal workstations and do a number of things that pose an immense risk to organisation-wide cybersecurity.

To remedy this, make sure security monitoring is still running on your systems, allowing threats to be detected and the appropriate action to be taken to keep your hardware and software resources safe while you’re away from the office.

HAVE YOU DEPLOYED A NETWORK SECURITY MONITORING TOOL THAT ONLY MONITORS IF YOUR STAFF ARE ON THE NETWORK AND THE AGENT DEPLOYED? 

Depending on the type of network security monitoring tool you’re leveraging, you can expect various levels of protection from your cybersecurity contingency plan.

Certain tools provide limited protection and functionality in spite of the array of otherwise dazzling features. If you’ve already set up network security monitoring tools within your cybersecurity contingency plan, make sure they’re practically effective at detecting suspicious activity and automating defensive capabilities if it comes down to it.

The last thing you need to be worrying about during this crisis is whether your security tools are doing what they’re supposed to while you’re self-isolating at home.

HAVE YOU DEPLOYED ALL AGENTS OR REDUCED COST ONLY BY MONITORING KEY ASSETS?

In this process of protecting business resources while traditional workplace activity, processes, and procedures are disrupted, make sure you know exactly which aspects of your systems are being monitored.

While businesses are taking a heavy hit, this might be the worst time to reduce spending on your cybersecurity contingency plan. Cybercriminals have a sixth sense for when companies are vulnerable and will not hesitate to strike if they see an opportunity.

To prevent any further economic damage or business fallouts, make sure you’ve deployed all agents to give your resources the protection they need. 

WHERE IS YOUR SECURITY OPERATIONS CENTRE (SOC) LOCATED? 

If you’ve entrusted your SOC to verified third parties, make inquiries about where their operations are based.

Certain companies run their SOC from countries like the Philippines, which is facing a strict lockdown to combat COVID-19, at the moment, and where internet connectivity might not be up to the capacity needed to contribute effectively to your cybersecurity contingency plan.

AT TRISKELE LABS, WE SUPPORT YOUR CYBERSECURITY CONTINGENCY PLAN WITH OUR AUSTRALIAN-BASED SOC

If you’re wondering how to receive support for your cybersecurity contingency plan at this point of time, at Triskele Labs, our team is more than equipped for the task.

We deploy a 30-day proof-of-value, remotely, with five-day notice and our SOC is based in Melbourne. We’re also more than capable of operating in a disaster scenario and protecting your company’s resources and systems, as verified by our ISO27001 certification.

It’s crucial that you don’t waste any time setting up a comprehensive security framework around your business to ensure that you have working systems to come back to when the dust settles. For more information, contact our resourceful and experienced team at Triskele Labs today