Steps you can take to implement Secure by design in your organisation
The best organisations consider the security of their business and the handling of data to be of paramount importance. At A24, we encourage and can help you to consider the security of data for your entire business by promoting safe and resilient systems through strengthening cyber-security through an end-to-end approach to security –
When you are ‘secure by design’ building security considerations into the design, development, and deployment phases of a business's products or services, rather than bolting on security measures as an afterthought.
Here are some steps that a business can take to implement security by design:
Develop security requirements: Based on the risk assessment, develop security requirements that your product or service must meet to ensure that it is secure. These requirements should be integrated into the design process from the beginning.
Identify potential security risks: Start by identifying the potential security risks that your product or service may face. Conduct a risk assessment to identify areas of vulnerability and determine the likelihood and impact of each risk.
Adopt secure coding practices: Ensure that your developers follow secure coding practices, such as input validation, error handling, and secure communication protocols, to prevent vulnerabilities from being introduced into the code.
Use security testing: Perform security testing at each stage of the development process to identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
Modernising platforms: Modernising platforms with consistent and scalable infrastructure supporting the business’ transition from old to new platforms.
Follow industry and regulatory best practices: Keep up with industry best practices and new or changing regulatory frameworks, like multi-cloud security and system regulators, and stay informed about the latest security threats and vulnerabilities.
Uplifting innovation: Uplifting innovation and productivity by aligning reform with other parts of the digital economy, such as Consumer Data Right, cryptographic reform, skills and AI agendas.
Train your employees: Educate your employees on security best practices and make security awareness a part of your company culture.
Conduct regular security audits: Conduct regular security audits to identify any potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in your systems and processes.
By incorporating security by design principles into your business processes, you can reduce the risk of security breaches and ensure that your products or services are secure from the ground up.
We also asked ourselves a few more burning questions that may resonate with your organisation’s status quo or are being explored at the moment.
How should business approach cloud adjacent and multi-cloud security?
As businesses increasingly adopt cloud adjacent and multi-cloud architectures, they must also take measures to ensure the security of their data and applications. Here are some key steps that businesses should take to approach cloud adjacent and multi-cloud security:
Develop a clear security strategy: Businesses should have a clear security strategy that addresses the unique security challenges of cloud adjacent and multi-cloud environments. This strategy should include guidelines for data protection, identity and access management, and network security.
Implement a multi-layered security approach: A multi-layered security approach involves implementing security measures at multiple levels of the IT stack, including the application, network, and infrastructure layers. This approach can help protect against threats that may bypass other security measures.
Use cloud-native security tools: Cloud-native security tools are designed to work specifically with cloud environments and can provide more effective security than traditional security tools. Businesses should consider using tools such as cloud access security brokers (CASBs), cloud security posture management (CSPM) tools, and cloud workload protection platforms (CWPPs).
Monitor and manage access and usage: Businesses should implement controls to monitor and manage access to cloud resources, as well as usage patterns. This can include implementing policies around user authentication, data encryption, and data retention, in addition to modernising infrastructure capability supporting industry transition from old to new platforms.
Establish clear communication and collaboration: In a multi-cloud environment, it is important to establish clear communication and collaboration between different teams and stakeholders responsible for security, including regulators, and industry bodies. This can help ensure that all parties are aware of their responsibilities and that security measures are effectively implemented and maintained.
Overall, businesses should approach cloud adjacent and multi-cloud security with a comprehensive and proactive approach, including a clear security strategy, multi-layered security measures, cloud-native security tools, access and usage monitoring, and effective communication and collaboration.
How should business take advantage of intelligent network innovations to connect ideas in an agile, secure and increasingly automated world?
Businesses can take advantage of intelligent network innovations to connect ideas in an agile, secure, and increasingly automated world by leveraging the following approaches:
Embracing software-defined networking (SDN): SDN enables businesses to create a more agile and automated network infrastructure that can be quickly reconfigured to support new services and applications. This can also help improve network security by enabling automated threat detection and response.
Implementing network automation: By automating network processes such as configuration management, provisioning, and performance monitoring, businesses can reduce the risk of human error and improve network agility. This can also free up IT staff to focus on higher-value tasks.
Leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning: By embracing innovation such as using AI and machine learning algorithms to analyse network traffic and detect anomalies, businesses can improve network security and identify potential threats before they become major issues, as they transform their business to embrace the digital economy.
Adopting zero-trust security principles: Zero-trust security models assume that all network traffic is potentially malicious and require strict authentication and authorization for all network access. This can help prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data and improve overall network security.
Implementing secure access service edge (SASE): SASE combines network security and cloud security services to provide a more comprehensive and integrated approach to network security. This can help protect against a wider range of threats and improve overall network security posture.
By adopting these approaches, businesses can take advantage of intelligent network innovations to connect ideas in an agile, secure, and increasingly automated world. This can help improve collaboration and innovation across teams and improve overall business agility and resilience.
How should business ensure their security posture has the right resources and capabilities in place to manage the defence of the enterprise, and react as the situation changes?
To ensure their security posture has the right resources and capabilities in place to manage the defence of the enterprise and react as the situation changes, businesses should follow these key steps:
Conduct a comprehensive security discovery assessment: A security discovery assessment can help identify gaps and weaknesses in the security posture of the enterprise. This includes assessing the effectiveness of existing security controls, identifying potential threats and vulnerabilities, and evaluating the readiness of the security team to respond to security incidents.
Develop a security strategy and roadmap: A security strategy and roadmap should outline the goals, objectives, and priorities of the security program. It should also include a timeline for implementing new security measures and capabilities.
Invest in the right technology platforms and tools: Businesses should invest in the right technology platforms and tools to support their security strategy. This includes security information and event management (SIEM) systems, threat intelligence platforms, endpoint detection and response (EDR) systems, and other security technologies that can automate and streamline security operations.
Develop a skilled and experienced security team: Businesses should ensure that they have a skilled and experienced security team in place to manage the defence of the business. This includes hiring security professionals who can lead with the right skills and expertise, providing ongoing training and development, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Implement an incident response plan: An incident response plan should outline the steps that the security team will take in the event of a security incident. This includes defining roles and responsibilities, identifying communication channels, and outlining the steps for containing and remedying the incident.
Continuously monitor and improve security posture: Businesses should continuously monitor and improve their security posture to adapt to changing threats and business needs. This includes conducting regular security assessments, tracking key security metrics, and staying up-to-date with the latest security trends, technologies, innovation, competition and regulatory reform.
By following these steps, businesses can ensure that their security posture has the right resources and capabilities in place to manage the defence of the business and react as the situation changes. This can help protect the organization from potential security breaches and maintain the trust and confidence of customers, employees, and stakeholders.
Are businesses getting the balance right - of people and systems to stay responsive and agile?
Balancing people and systems to stay responsive and agile can be a challenging task for businesses. However, the answer to whether businesses are getting the balance right or not depends on the specific circumstances and needs of each organization. Here are some factors that businesses should consider when determining whether they have achieved the right balance:
People: Having the right people in place is essential for a business to remain responsive and agile. This means ensuring that employees have the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to execute on the company's vision and goals. This includes hiring and retaining talented staff, providing ongoing training and development, and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.
Systems: Technology is a critical component of an agile, compliant, innovative and responsive business. This includes having the right systems, platforms and tools in place to support key business processes, automate tasks, and provide data-driven insights. This can include technologies such as multi-cloud or cloud adjacent computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
Processes: Processes are another important factor in achieving the right balance between people and systems. Businesses should have streamlined processes in place to ensure that employees can work efficiently and effectively. This includes having a clear organizational structure, defined workflows, and standardized procedures.
Culture: Finally, culture plays a vital role in determining whether a business can achieve the right balance between people and systems. This includes fostering a culture of innovation, agility, and continuous improvement. Businesses should also ensure that their culture aligns with their strategic objectives and goals.
In summary, businesses need to ensure that they have the right people, systems, processes, and culture in place to remain responsive and agile. By achieving the right balance between these factors, businesses can adapt to changing market conditions, improve customer satisfaction, and achieve sustainable growth.
How does a business have a culture of adopting new technology as the IT environment evolves?
To foster a culture of adopting new technology as the IT environment evolves, businesses should consider the following strategies:
Encourage innovation: Businesses should encourage innovation by promoting a culture that values experimentation and risk-taking. This can involve giving employees the freedom to explore new technologies and ideas, providing them with resources to develop and test new solutions, and recognizing and rewarding innovative ideas and contributions to support their industry transition from old to new platforms.
Foster a learning culture: Businesses should foster a learning culture where employees are encouraged to continually learn and develop new skills. This can involve providing training and development opportunities, hosting knowledge-sharing sessions and workshops, and encouraging employees to attend conferences and events.
Provide a clear business case: It's important for businesses to provide a clear business case for adopting new technology. This includes identifying the benefits of the new technology and how it aligns with the organization's strategic goals and objectives, aligning with reforms to the digital economy, or regulatory change. This can help employees understand why change is necessary and how it can benefit the business.
Promote cross-functional collaboration: Cross-functional collaboration is key to fostering a culture of adopting new technology. This involves breaking down silos between departments and encouraging collaboration and communication between different teams. This can help identify opportunities for new technologies to be implemented and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Lead by example: Finally, business leaders should lead by example and embrace new and trustworthy technologies themselves. This can involve using modern technology in their own work, sharing their experiences with others, and demonstrating the benefits of adopting new technology.
By following these strategies, businesses can foster a culture of adopting new technology as the IT environment evolves. This can help ensure that the organization remains competitive, innovative, and able to adapt to changing market conditions.
