Tech Journal Keeping Up With Evolving Security Needs
By Evan Rowell / 21 Sep 2020 / Topics: As a service
By Evan Rowell / 21 Sep 2020 / Topics: As a service
When it comes to security, there's so much to take into account. There's a lot of information and things change on a daily basis. It can feel almost impossible to keep up with everything.
According to recent research, Security Operations Center (SOC) analysts are overwhelmed by the number of daily alerts to investigate. The vast majority of respondents of a Sophos survey (86%) said they need more skills to combat security threats, while 80% report struggling to recruit the right people.
Many of our clients talk to us about these kinds of concerns. In some cases, they know they need help with email security, identity and access management, vulnerability management or even developing a SOC. Contacting a provider that offers a vCISO program is the first step toward a solution for all the concerns mentioned above. At Insight, we developed a virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) program to help organizations address modern challenges, bridge gaps, and develop and execute security strategies that work.
A vCISO is an individual with commensurate, executive-level experience that works on behalf of your organization to accomplish a wide range of security-related objectives, from strategic to tactical. The vCISO is backed up and supported by our team of security and information technology experts, whether the vCISO is working remotely or on-site. vCISO services are accessible to businesses of any size operating within any industry.
When might the vCISO program be appropriate to leverage? There are numerous instances where it can be a valuable component.
The first thing a virtual CISO will want to do when they engage with an organization is understand, "What is the business trying to do? Where does the business want to go? And what are the objectives and desired outcomes?"
Next, they’ll want to know, "Who are the key stakeholders and decision-makers? And what investments have been made thus far?” It will always be advantageous to leverage existing investments wherever possible, followed by appropriate adjustments to fill in gaps or alleviate problem areas.
The CISO of an organization should never be viewed as simply the person who says no to everything, or is working to try and stifle business. The role’s primary goal is to make operations secure without hindering that which makes the business productive. This is something we're trying to change within the industry, as are many of our technology partners who are developing solutions that support this perspective. Our team can help navigate decisions to optimize this combination of safety and seamlessness.
You might be confident in answering this question on your own, but if you aren’t, a good starting point is gauging your initial reaction to the following?
If your answer is “not very” or “a little unsure,” then you’re in the majority of companies we speak with daily. We don't know what we don't know, but understanding there are likely gaps in the practical response from your security program and team is a start.
Our vCISO service follows a defined Cybersecurity Reference Framework based on the NIST CSF (Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover). At the foundational level, we help businesses focus on “zero-trust” key principles such as controlling identity, maintaining visibility and assumed breach. If you think you need help or support is any of these areas, a vCISO may be a crucial resource for your business.
Regional Principal - Presales, Cloud+ Data Center Transformation
Evan is a security leader within the Consulting Services organization at Insight. Working with over 160+ security partners, we consult, strategize, and implement solutions that fit our customer needs. Focus is on understanding a customer's current security state and working to drive the desired customer outcomes. As a trusted advisor, will provide guidance and recommendations through industry best practices into the solution development process to ensure Insight services are fulfilling the proper solutions for our clients’ requirements.
