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How to survive and thrive through the economic storm

Our postcard from Gartner’s EMEA Security & Risk Management Summit 2023

11 oktober 2023

door Siân John, MBE

With turbulent global economic conditions ahead, and rapidly evolving and emerging technology and geopolitical threats becoming increasingly pertinent, cyber security professionals are under more pressure than ever to prove their value and justify continued security investment.

NCC Group proudly sponsored Gartner’s EMEA Security & Risk Management Summit in 2023. During the event we exclusively launched our AI Whitepaper “Safety, Security, Privacy & Prompts: Cyber Resilience in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”.

We were also delighted to host a cyber security leadership dinner with NCSC’s Director of Operations, Paul Chichester MBE as our special guest speaker. Both activities enabled us to connect with public and private sector cyber professionals grappling with these challenges, and we discussed our own research and perspectives with them to support their cause.

Across a very busy 3 days, I heard first hand from analysts and cyber leaders who provided current, relevant tips for optimizing a cyber security strategy and maximize budgets.

To further support our cyber community and my fellow professionals, I wanted to share four insights I took away from proceedings and I’d be curious to hear your perspectives too:

 

1) Focus Resources for Maximum Impact

Gartner busted the myth that maximum effort leads to maximum security. Rather than trying to cover everything, prioritize actions that will provide the greatest risk reduction. Follow the “minimum effective effort” approach - do the least required to adequately protect the organization's vulnerabilities.

For example, don’t get bogged down in endless risk assessments. Only gather the essential data needed to inform priority actions. Adopt pragmatic cyber security metrics that clearly link spending to risk reduction.

Likewise, don’t buy every new security tool just because it promises better protection. Carefully evaluate your existing tech stack first, and only acquire tools that fill critical gaps or reduce complexity.

Think “minimum effective toolset.”

 

2) Build Business-Wide Cybersecurity Capabilities

With IT management responsibilities shifting to business units, don’t try to centralize all cyber security roles and decision-making. Instead, enable employees to make informed security decisions themselves. Provide guardrails without being overly restrictive.

For instance, address shadow IT by giving people the tools and permissions to safely and productively collaborate. Promote a cyber-aware culture through education and incentives rather than just mandates. Make cybersecurity intrinsic to everyone’s work rather than an obstacle.

 

3) Adopt Continuous Testing and Monitoring

Point-in-time assessments provide limited value. The analysts emphasized implementing continuous frameworks for identifying and closing vulnerabilities throughout the threat lifecycle. For example, regularly penetration testing critical systems rather than just annually.

Likewise, leverage threat intelligence to monitor for emerging exposures in your environment on an ongoing basis. Consider adding offerings like managed threat detection and response to provide 24/7 monitoring and rapid response capabilities.

 

4) Secure Identities from End to End

With identities becoming the new security perimeter, the analysts highlighted major gaps in organizations’ identity and access management strategies. They advised taking an end-to-end approach - from architecture, to implementation, to ongoing lifecycle management - to truly secure identities.

For instance, build identity threat detection and response capabilities by feeding identity telemetry into your SIEM and SOAR platforms. Leverage trusted experts who understand the full identity lifecycle to assess and enhance your IAM practices.

In today’s economic climate, cyber security professionals must clearly demonstrate their value if they want to maintain or increase budgets. While we can’t eliminate all vulnerabilities, by focusing resources on the right priorities, promoting business-wide capabilities, implementing continuous monitoring, and shoring up identity management, security teams can optimize their risk reduction despite economic instability.

During my own presentation at Gartner’s Summit, I shared details on our approach to addressing these challenges, both for ourselves and for our clients. What happens when your cyber security strategy merges with actionable threat intelligence and automation? And it’s all powered by a leading team of cyber security experts? Well… You create efficiencies, capture meaningful insights, and empower your people to manage evolving threats effectively in today’s challenging environment.

What other lessons did you take away from the summit? I welcome your thoughts. Get in touch below.

Siân John, MBE

Siân John, MBE

Chief Technology Officer, NCC Group

NCC Group’s recently appointed CTO and former Director of Security Business Development and Strategic Growth for Microsoft. Siân has over 25 years of experience in cyber security, having worked in strategy, business risk, privacy, and technology.

She is a member of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Council and chairs the Cybersecurity Management Committee for TechUK. She is also a member of the advisory boards for the UKRI Challenge Fund, the Digital Security by Design initiative, and LORCA, the UK government startup accelerator. In 2018, she was appointed MBE for services to Cybersecurity.