A threat assessment, sometimes referred to as a risk assessment, is the process of investigating the readiness of a business’ network to handle cybersecurity incidents that are likely to occur in that business’ industry. These assessments identify weak points in a company’s cybersecurity posture and provide constructive solutions for remediating those weak points. A cybersecurity consultant will look for gaps in network security, misconfigurations, or other factors that can leave the company vulnerable to data breaches, malware, phishing attacks, or other threats and then provide actionable evaluations on the company’s preparedness. A strong partner in IT will then use this information to provide custom solutions to address the company’s security posture and continually follow up to ensure successful coverage.
Identifying Network Weaknesses
The first step to a threat assessment is combing through the small business’ network to identify potential attack vectors and vulnerabilities. A thorough threat assessment will look at endpoint security, network detection and response capabilities, data security, backup options, company policies, and much more to pinpoint where incidents are likely to occur. The best threat assessments will take into account the access contractors and remote workers have to the company network and required third-party services that can potentially offer hackers an attack opportunity. Potential threats will vary based on the company’s size and industry, but even the cybersecurity basics will be verified by an IT consultant.
Assessing Threat Levels
Once an IT consultant knows a business’ cybersecurity posture inside and out, they will assess the threat levels of all the found weak points. This will help provide context for proposed solutions and allow the company to address critical security issues first. For example, a company that does not use multifactor authentication (MFA) or a next-generation firewall will be at a high risk of being targeted by easily preventable attacks. On the other hand, a company that has a misconfigured server may be immediately at risk of an attack unless those configurations are changed immediately. A good threat assessment will let a business know the gaps in their cybersecurity and the highest priority threats they need to address.
Solutions and Evaluations
Once the initial steps of a threat assessment have been completed, an IT consultant will propose cybersecurity solutions that directly address that company’s vulnerabilities and take into account the threat level of each problem. An actionable plan will then be made to roll out the changes necessary to provide the business with better security coverage, and the IT consultant can provide guidance and technical help throughout the entire process. As an SMB improves its cybersecurity posture, their IT consultant can provide regular evaluations and feedback on the progress they’ve made and offer advice on how to further improve the company’s security posture.
Summary
A good threat assessment will involve rethinking the cybersecurity services a company has implemented, communication protocols for employees, and even the training provided to new employees. This can help a small business protect its network from the threats it’s most likely to face in the near future. Our team here at Robinett Consulting believes that even the smallest of businesses deserve the same high-quality threat assessments as big companies, and that’s why we offer complimentary consultations to see if our cybersecurity experts can help improve your business’ security posture with enterprise level security services at costs small businesses can afford!
