Are you a Cyber ready organisation?

In today’s world, the most valuable, as well as sensitive asset of an organisation to be taken care of, is its data or information. A breach of data such as customer confidential information, sensitive business data, or the company’s research work could terribly affect the organisation’s reputation, growth, and market value. In spite of this fact, in many organisations, cybersecurity failures are still perceived as a short-term risk. It has now become a necessity to educate and build a healthy culture of cyber security in organisations to avoid any mishaps. Planning the implementation of robotics cyber security in an organisation can be made easier through the following steps.

1. Prevention is better than cure.

Many companies disregard cyber security until they personally experience an attack, work accident, or similar malfunction. This often happens because people do not realize that you need not only a safe environment, but a secure one. So, the first step is to avoid assuming that the robots your company is using are already secured by the manufacturer or that your infrastructure integration is secure. Accept the existence of risks and focus on prevention.

2. Knowing your environment

Once you’ve decided to implement robotics cyber security, the next step is to learn how your system works. To get a full overview of your infrastructure, you need to capture all your system’s elements (hardware, software and network) and learn how they interact with each other. This will allow you to get an idea of your system’s vulnerabilities.

3. A job well begun is half done

The basis of all cyber security defence programmes must be threat detection. You can only implement appropriate defences if you understand the threats you face and where your cyber defences are most vulnerable (threats, attacks, entry points, attack surfaces). In this step, you will have an overview of the most vulnerable points in your system and the risks your company is exposed to. Also classifying the risks from the least dangerous to the most dangerous (severe) will be crucial. Having a deep knowledge of these threats allows you to find the best way to protect your system against those risks.

4. A roadmap to rescue

Knowing your threats’ severity as well as its possible mitigations, gives you the chance to evaluate the actions that need to be taken from short to long term. It is essential to create a roadmap according to your robots’ risks and company’s resources to start implementing cyber security.

5. Invest appropriately

At this point, you may find yourself needing a specific assessment to guarantee complete security for your robot or infrastructure. If you reached this point, be certain that you are investing in the services that best suit your company’s needs.

6. Keep on iterating

Security is not a product, but a process. You will need to iterate on these steps more than once, to make sure your security remains up to date with your infrastructure.

Few points to consider practicing at a base level to improve the cybersecurity posture:

• Implement strong password policies: Passwords are a common point of vulnerability for cyber-attacks. Implementing strong password policies, such as requiring long and complex passwords and regularly updating them, can significantly reduce the risk of a breach.
• Use multi-factor authentication: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of authentication beyond just a password. This can be a security code sent to a phone, a fingerprint scan, or a biometric authentication.
• Keep software and devices up to date: Cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, and software and device manufacturers frequently release updates to address vulnerabilities. Make sure to keep all software and devices up to date with the latest patches and security updates.
• Educate employees: Your employees are a crucial line of defence against cyber-attacks. Make sure they are aware of best practices for cybersecurity, such as not clicking on suspicious links or downloading unknown attachments. Consider offering training or resources to help employees stay up to date on the latest threats. Hackers evolve every day, and so should you, so never stop training.
• Use a firewall and antivirus software: Firewalls and antivirus software can help protect your organization’s networks and devices from cyber threats by blocking malicious traffic and detecting and removing malware. Make sure to keep these tools up to date and configured properly.
• Consider using a security information and event management (SIEM) system: A SIEM system can help you monitor and analyse your organization’s security posture in real time, alerting you to potential threats and helping you respond quickly.

A cyber-ready organization is one that has implemented all or most of the necessary measures listed above to protect itself against cyber threats and attacks. Strong cyber security policies and procedures such as rules for password management, data protection, and incident response are inevitable measures seconded by necessary tools and systems in place against cyber threats. A cyber-ready organization has a plan in place for responding to a cyber-attack or data breach, including a clear chain of command and procedures for mitigating the impact of the incident. Continuous employee training, SIEM systems, and regularly scheduled tests and assessments ensure an effective defence as well.

Each robot, infrastructure, and company need a specific solution. Hence “universal” solutions may not work out for your own case and situation. Thus, investing in security may turn out to be expensive at the initial stages but will be very beneficial in the long run.

Find the right security partner

We recommend that you find a security partner that guides you along the way and helps you secure your company. Exponential Digital Solutions (10xDS) is committed to support companies applying cyber security solutions, for which we suggest and offer the most efficient services. Talk to our experts to know more!