Operational Security is a comprehensive process of protecting your information and your systems.
We’re living in the Age of Information. And having so much information available at the touch of a button is wonderful.
But it also comes with a drawback: we all have sensitive information that’s vulnerable to cyber attackers…
But that doesn’t mean we have to live with the fear of suffering a cyber-attack. Using the principles of Operational Security, you can make sure that your data and computer assets are safe and secure.
The steps to the Operations Security process can be summarized as:
- Know your threats
- Know what information to protect
- Protect your information from those threats
1. Know Your Threats
You need to be aware of both the actual and potential threats facing your critical data. Each piece of information could be susceptible to its own threat.
Security breaches show up constantly in the news and on websites that track breaches, such as Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
Just recently, there was a data breach involving the investment app, Robinhood in which about 5 million email addresses were leaked.
These two attacks highlight the very real threats that are out there. Keeping up with news about current cyber attacks can help you better understand what threats your information may be facing.
Remember that not all threats are external, either. While many threats come from third parties or business competitors, aggrieved employees and careless employees can pose a threat as well.
2. Know What Information to Protect
You need to evaluate your information assets and determine what exactly you might consider your critical information. This may require having an information classification policy.
Under such a policy, all of your information would be labeled. Your information would be classified according to how private it is, if there are any rules or regulations that apply (such as HIPAA), how likely it is to be attacked, and how critical it is to business operations.
The exact kind of information your business handles will differ from business to business but some common examples of sensitive information include intellectual property, employee details, customer details, credit card information, and financial statements.
3. Protect Your Information From Those Threats
Once you know what information you need to protect and what threats that information might face, your business needs a plan for mitigating those threats.
Some measures for protecting your information from threats include:
- Restricting network access only to devices that absolutely require it
- Giving employees the minimum amount of access that they need to fulfill their duties
- Incorporating automation
- Keeping the team that sets security policies completely separate from those who manage the network
By following the three-step process outlined here, you can ensure that your business’ and customers’ data are protected.
For help putting operational security measures into place at your business, get in contact with us at 415-800-1130, you contact us here. We will provide free consultation and a free security audit. We’ll help you understand your security posture now, and how you can improve.