Creating a Cybersecurity Program for Small Businesses: A Comprehensive Overview with Alan Watkins
Small businesses have become more vulnerable to cyber-attacks in recent times, and these attacks can be costly, not only in terms of lost revenue but also customer trust and reputation. Cyber threats can come from different sources, including hackers, insider threats, or accidents. As a result, small businesses need to create and implement a robust cybersecurity program to protect their assets.
To help small businesses take these necessary steps, Alan Watkins, CIS Controls Ambassador, has written a new book titled “Creating a Cybersecurity Program for Small Businesses, Second Edition.” In this engaging article, we will discuss the contents of this book and provide insights into creating a comprehensive cybersecurity program.
The Key Topics Covered in the Book
Governance Documents: The creation of well-written governance documents is the first necessary step in creating a cybersecurity program. These documents outline the responsibilities, goals, and objectives of the program and are essential in ensuring that all stakeholders understand their roles and responsibilities.
Policies and Procedures: After creating governance documents, the next step is to define the policies and procedures that guide the cybersecurity program. These policies outline the rules and regulations that all users must follow to ensure the security of the system.
CIS Controls and CIS Safeguards: The Center for Internet Security (CIS) has published a set of controls and safeguards that small businesses can use to enhance their cybersecurity program. These controls provide specific guidance on what steps to take to protect against cyber threats, and the book covers this in detail.
Risk Management using CIS RAM: Risk management is an essential aspect of a cybersecurity program. The CIS Risk Assessment Method (CIS RAM) provides a framework for identifying and mitigating risks, and the book provides detailed guidance on implementing this framework.
The Additional Piece
While the book covers these key topics comprehensively, there is still much more that small businesses can do to enhance their cybersecurity program. Here are some further insights:
Employee Training: Employee training is vital in creating a cybersecurity-aware workplace. Employees need to be educated on the most recent threats, policies, and procedures to ensure that they understand what security measures need to be taken.
Up to Date Software: Keeping software up to date is key. Many cyber-attacks rely on exploiting known vulnerabilities, and updating software regularly can prevent these attacks from succeeding.
Cloud Security: Small businesses have been moving to the cloud in recent times, and this shift has brought many benefits. However, the cloud can also be vulnerable to cyber threats, and small businesses must take steps to secure their cloud systems.
Backups: Small businesses should always have a reliable backup system in place. Backups can provide a fail-safe if systems go down, or worse, there is a cyber-attack leading to lost data.
The Summary
In summary, “Creating a Cybersecurity Program for Small Businesses, Second Edition,” provides a comprehensive guide to creating a robust cybersecurity program. The book covers essential topics including governance documents, policies and procedures, and the CIS Controls and CIS Safeguards, as well as risk management using the CIS RAM.
In addition to these key topics, small businesses must also consider areas such as employee training, software updates, cloud security, and backup systems to safeguard their assets effectively.
With adequate preparation, small businesses can safeguard themselves against cyber-attacks and build customer trust and business continuity. As the world becomes increasingly digital, an investment in cybersecurity is becoming a necessity and a wise choice for any small business.
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In this Help Net Security video interview, Alan Watkins, CIS Controls Ambassador, CIS, talks about his new book: Creating a Cybersecurity Program for Small Businesses, Second Edition.
This book provides essential steps and guidance that small businesses with 25 to 50 employees should implement, from creating governance documents to policies and procedures. Watkins devotes four chapters to the CIS controls and CIS Safeguards in Implementation Group 1 (IG1) and discusses risk management using the CIS Risk Assessment Method (CIS RAM).
Introducing the book: Creating a Small Business Cybersecurity Program, Second Edition
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