WHY CYBER RESILIENCE MATTERS

BHARAT RAIGANGAR, CEO-MEA OF CYBERSECURITY CONSULTING AND ADVISORY FIRM INSPIRA, ON WHY ENTERPRISES IN THE REGION SHOULD BECOME MORE CYBER RESILIENT.

Why is it essential for the regional enterprises to become more cyber resilient?

Enterprises in the middle east have transformed post-pandemic owing to digital transformation, helping to introduce new business models. Over the years, I have seen influencers and company leaders constricting their security knobs to achieve a better cyber security posture. Managing physical and cloud environments has also become a challenge in recent times. It is high time enterprises in the Middle East should stay updated about the existing threats and imbibe cyber resilience in their security strategy.

What are some of the growing threat vectors that enterprises in the middle east should watch out for?

The modern cyber landscape has observed an increase in ransomware activities. It is a malware that encrypts sensitive data for ransom. Additionally, phishing attacks are another threat vector sourced via emails and websites.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) cyber-attacks have drastically affected digital security in the middle east, mainly among the government and private sector customers. At the same time, VPN attacks have also introduced new vulnerabilities affecting the systems and networks across the organisational landscape.

What are your tips for enterprises to achieve cyber resilience?

Organisations in the Middle East are seeking ways to become more cyber resilient to preserve sustainable security. Holding years of experience in the cyber security scenario, here are some top tips to achieve cyber resilience and respond to the attacks vigorously: • Conduct cybersecurity assurance assessments, increase incident response, and encourage team training to learn advanced technologies and solutions related to the maintenance of infrastructural security and protecting the safety of sensitive data. • Maintain continuous monitoring of organisational “crown jewels” and asset inventory. Regularly update operating systems, enterprise networks and application software to apply security patches as and when available. • Perform security audits at intervals to identify and eliminate vulnerabilities • Automate time-consuming manual security processes with the application of advanced automation tools helping with threat hunting, vulnerability management, analyses of user behaviour etc.

Can you share details of Inspira’s offerings to the regional market?

With inauguration of Inspira’s new MEA office, the launch of a well-equipped Cyber Fusion Centre was also announced. It is a diligent base to strengthen the regional cyber security offerings inclusive of Cyber Advisory, Digital Business Risk Management, managed security services, cloud innovation, cloud security, business analytics, Threat Modelling, “CyberIn-A-Box” and similar technologically advanced solutions, encouraging digital transformation and robust security forces across enterprises. Mainly the focus stays on bringing the cyberspace closer to reality and near to a secure future. Below are some significant cyber security offerings that Inspira integrates to build a robust cyber resilience strategy for organisations globally: Cyber Advisory: Increased cyber threats have resulted in massive transformation with the adoption of digital technologies. Realignment of existing cyber posture has become the need of the hour. Inspira’s Cyber Advisory practice monitors pertinent cyber risks, develops active defence mechanism and suggests a holistic cyber resilience strategy to resist various cyber-attacks. Cyber Transformation: Inspira’s cyber security operations are applied globally to secure critical and sensitive environments in various commercial spaces. The cyber operations team leverages tailored cyber threat intelligence and implements digital transformation capabilities to strengthen the cyber security posture. Cyber Operations: Initiating cyber security operations, Inspira’s security experts aim to identify network vulnerabilities and protect sensitive data with constant monitoring. The operations aim to fill the security gaps and design effective solutions to secure information systems and networks from cyber-attacks.

Lastly, to maintain a winning position in cyber governance, a progressive cyber resilience strategy must be holistic in its approach. INSPIRA, along with its esteemed OEM partners, thrives on providing cyber resilience for a secured customer journey.