Cyber Security Posture: What exactly is “cyber security posture” and 5 ways you can fix it

Acronyms and buzzwords often feel hard to escape in cyber security, but ‘posture’ is one that you don’t want to dismiss. The term ‘cyber security posture’ refers to the overall security status of an organisation’s network and information systems. Think of it like your business’s immune system – ready to defend against potential cyber attacks and keep everything healthily ticking along.

Ultimately, it’s about having robust defences, effective risk management practices, and the ability to swiftly respond to a cyber incident and recover successfully. Understanding your cyber security posture, and how to improve it, is key to safeguarding your assets earning customer trust and maintaining your business's reputation.

But what does it really mean and how do you measure posture?

The cyber security posture of an organisation is a complete measure of its network infrastructure and its cyber resilience – your ability to withstand cyber attacks and maintain operations in the face of cyber threats. It looks at all elements that contribute to cyber security, including technical defences, response plans, policies and processes, and employee awareness. In a nutshell, it’s a snapshot of how well-prepared your organisation is to handle cyber risks.

5 steps to fix your organisations cyber security posture:

1. Conduct Regular Security Assessments

First things first, it’s important to know where you stand. Without carrying out a regular check-up, it’s not possible to know what areas require treatment. Evaluating your cyber security might involve vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, or comprehensive cyber security audits.

By identifying weak points, you can prioritise areas that need immediate attention and improve your overall security resilience. The more frequent the check-ups, the better your chances of maintaining a strong cyber security posture.

2. Implement Cyber Security Posture Management

Effective cyber security posture management is essential for maintaining a strong defence against advancing threats – without constant steering and adjustments, it’s easy for it to drift off course.

Cyber security posture management involves monitoring your security environment, updating policies, ensuring compliance with the latest industry standards, and implementing strong access controls.

Essentially, you must integrate the management of your cyber security posture into your organisation’s regular processes to manage it effectively and ensure it is robust enough to withstand a potential breach.

3. Enhance Cyber Resilience Through Employee Training

One of the weakest links in a cyber security chain is always human error, and cyber attacks often focus on phishing and other social engineering attacks for precisely this reason. Employee cyber security training is essential to building a strong cyber security posture and maintaining resilience.

A well-informed workforce is a critical component in maintaining a strong cyber posture and can turn a potential liability into your first line of defence – significantly reducing the risk and impact of a cyber attack.

4. Adopt a Zero Trust Style

The Zero Trust model operates on the principle of "never trust, always verify." Threats can come from inside or outside your network, so verifying every user and device request offers the chance to limit breaches from malicious parties.

By segmenting your network, continuously monitoring activity, and rigorously verifying all users and devices, Zero Trust reduces your attack surface and limits the impact if a breach does occur.

5. Keep Systems and Software Updated

Another tried and true cyber security adage: always keep your software and systems up to date. Outdated software is often full of unpatched vulnerabilities that offer prime targets to cyber attackers looking to exploit them.

Regularly updating and patching your software closes these loopholes, making it much harder for attackers to find a way in. Automating this process with patch management solutions and mandatory update policies ensures nothing gets overlooked, keeping your defences strong across the board.

Cyber Security Posture: the bottom line…

Improving your organisation's cyber security posture is not a one-time task but a consistent process and ongoing commitment. By conducting regular security assessments, and following the other points outlined above, you won’t be just building a wall to keep out malicious parties; you are creating a resilient and adaptive system of defence in world where cyber threats and digital crime are con

implementing strong access controls, enhancing employee training, adopting a Zero Trust Style, and keeping systems updated, you can significantly strengthen your defences against cyber threats. In doing so, you’ll protect your assets, build customer trust, and maintain the reputation of your business in a world that’s constantly evolving digitally.

By conducting regular security assessments, managing your cyber security posture with diligence, enhancing employee training, adopting a Zero Trust model, and keeping your systems updated, you’re not just building a wall; you’re creating a resilient, adaptive defense system. In doing so, you’ll safeguard your assets, earn customer trust, and protect your reputation in a world where digital threats are constantly evolving.

Need more expert advice on how to fortify your cyber security posture? Reach out to our team at PureCyber. Contact us at info@purecyber.com.