As cyber threats and malicious actors become more complex, the need to implement comprehensive cyber security strategies is even more essential for businesses and organisations.

In this article we will explore how creating a structured governance approach serves a pivotal role in maintaining a resilient cyber security posture.

What is the Purpose of Governance?

Governance is the glue that holds together an organisations cyber security strategy and overall approach. Technical controls and user awareness, for example, both help to produce a strong cyber security strategy for a business. This allows an organisation to coordinate their activities effectively and clearly communicate cyber security policy throughout their workforce. Cyber security activities such as penetration testing, phishing simulations and vulnerability scans can provide an organisation with the necessary data to inform their cyber security strategy. Digesting this technical data, conducting risk assessment against it, and implementing a plan to move forward is a key component of good cyber governance.

Good governance can help create, inform, and manage an entire cyber security programme. Poor governance can lead to multiple decisions that can harm an organisations cyber security approach.

Which Governance Framework Should I Choose?

It is important to emphasise that Governance is not a one size fits all approach.  The right framework for your organisation depends on several factors. Every business will have different business goals and priorities, number and value of assets/devices, size/structure, and number of existing vulnerabilities.

If you are a small UK business and want to implement basic cyber security controls, then Cyber Essentials might be the best option. This is a simple self-assessment certification. Once this is completed organisations can proceed to achieve Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation. This requires a technical audit to verify controls are in place. To learn more about how PureCyber can help you throughout the Cyber Essentials process click here.  

ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) 27001 is an international standard of certification and offers a more holistic framework, covering policies, processes, people, and technology. This includes areas such as access control, supplier relationships and asset management. Certification for this standard involves a detailed 2-stage audit. In comparison to Cyber Essentials, which is a much more technical focussed standard, ISO27001 is a risk based approach to cyber security governance and involves a good level of maintenance to continue achieving the accreditation.

The governance framework that companies choose to adopt can be dependent on external factors such as supply chain agreements, tender opportunities, or industry legislation. For example, many companies that aim to work within the US market will look to adopt schemes such as SOC2, FISMA or NIST as this is a requirement of multiple larger entities. Looking to work in Australia, may lead an organisation to adopt the Essential Eight requirements.

As previously stated, adopting a governance framework is not a one size fits all approach. What may be important to one will differ to another. However, what is important is that organisations appreciate the benefit of good governance and that, the associated structure of the approach, will help improve their cyber security posture.

Benefits of Good Governance

Create A Shared Responsibility

Implementing a security culture and environment throughout your business helps to create a shared responsibility among your employees. Good cyber security governance enables the flow of cyber security information and decisions around the whole of your organisation. This can empower people to make appropriate risk management decisions and stay aware of common cyber threats such as phishing and ransomware.

Enhance Your Reputation

Achieving governance standards is a clear and proven demonstration to partners, clients, and customers that you take cyber security and your reputation seriously. It can also give you a competitive advantage over businesses who have yet to implement governance standards.

Cost-Effective Cyber Security

Governance not only helps to mitigate against common cyber threats but also helps businesses to more effectively allocate their resources to identify and address their most critical vulnerabilities.

Avoid Costly Downtime

Incident management is a key element of good governance practice. These normally include comprehensive data backup and recovery policies. Having an incident response plan already in place in the event of a cyber-attack helps to avoid lengthy downtime loss of productivity, complete loss of data and financial loss.

Supply Chain Security

With multiple cyber security attacks originating through supply chains it is important that organisations manage and mitigate these risks effectively and appropriately. Creating an approach to supply chain risk management will help an organisation to understand the risks they face aswell as the controls they can implement. Good cybersecurity governance is essential for organizations to protect their digital assets, sensitive information, and overall business operations.

Why Choose PureCyber as Your Governance Partner

Take Action

PureCyber, as a long-standing certification body for both the Cyber Essentials Standard, Cyber Essentials Plus, IASME Cyber Assurance accreditation, with consultants qualified as ISO27001 Lead Auditors and ISO27001 Lead Implementers, has a history of working closely with customers to help them achieve this governance standard

Visit our FAQ section for more answers to common questions about Cyber Essentials.

Next Steps

Get in touch with our Cyber Essentials and IASME assessors, or our ISO27001 Lead Auditors and ISO27001 Lead Implementers, today by emailing or click the button below.

Sources

www.iasme.co.uk.com