Cybersecurity has been plaguing organizations and individuals for a while now. 2020, especially, witnessed a surge in IT security because of the pandemic-induced stay-at-home mandates. This left many people with a lot of free time on their hands, which they mostly chose to spend on the internet, unwittingly putting themselves – and their businesses – at serious risk of cyber attack.
According to RiskBase Security, data breaches exposed over 30 billion records in the first half of 2020. Even the websites of established companies like Marriott, SolarWinds, Zoom, and Twitter were hacked and breached. Perhaps the most ground-breaking of all these attacks was that of Twitter, which led to the compromised accounts of famous individuals like Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Ellon Musk, and Kanye West. Clearly, companies need a plan for curbing these kinds of internet attacks. And that is where “Security by Design” comes in.
What is Security by Design?
Security by Design is a strategic and initiative approach to building software and hardware that seeks to minimize cyber-attack risk before it happens through consistent monitoring, testing, and implementation of safeguarding procedures. It involves building security into products from the onset, to increase their immunity to all sorts of attacks.
Research studies have revealed that many companies have porous cybersecurity practices and insecure data. Hence, there is an urgent need to build security directly into products rather than wait until after significant attacks happen.
What are the opportunities in Security by Design?
Apart from securing data, Security by Design offers excellent benefits and opportunities for corporations and organizations.
- Security by Design helps protect corporations’ connected devices, sensitive and personal data, and information as they develop new applications and products.
- SbD enables organizations to identify existing vulnerabilities and security holes in their systems, giving them enough time to salvage the situation.
- Instead of taking extreme measures to avoid risks, Security by Design allows organizations to operate confidently and take on innovative projects without constant fear of cyber attack.
- It also allows and strengthens trust in the company’s systems, data, and information.
- In addition, Security by Design encourages IT leaders to formalize their cybersecurity strategies.
- SbD minimizes the need for system or configuration modification at every slight change except when updates are needed.
What are the challenges associated with Security by Design?
Undoubtedly, SbD has a crucial role in software and hardware, particularly in the age of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT). However, there are some challenges facing security personnel.
Cybersecurity continues to evolve at a breakneck pace that makes it difficult for IT professionals to catch up. This is because many organizations are continually changing their approach when it comes to computing, applications, networks, databases, and devices. Company leaders are quick to adopt new IT tools and policies in the hopes of cutting costs or speeding work – unfortunately this makes things difficult for security teams.
Another common story is when companies expect security personnel to keep up with industry changes without supporting them with the technologies they need.
In either case the result is often the same: unstable devices or products that are lacking in security.
The need for a consistent Security by Design approach
Cyber attacks in the age of AI, ML, and automation continue to grow day-by-day leaving developers with no option but to stay a few steps ahead. One way to stay up-to-date is to take online job training courses that focus on IT and cybercrimes.
Some of these courses, which you can find on Coursera, Harvard, and Udemy, focus on the new face of the internet, the different types of cyber attacks, corporations most at risk, challenges, and the different approaches to these problems. This will bring a broad perspective on cyber attacks and produce more secure ways of solving security challenges.
Another more traditional way of staying updated with something is connecting with people who are passionate about this field. Find and connect with cybersecurity experts online or you could try meeting up at a coworking space.
Final word
Cyber attacks are here to stay in our ever-changing, digitally-connected world. This calls for a new approach to protecting our most valuable assets. To start, security should be built into products from inception – and never just an afterthought.
Note: This blog article was written by a guest contributor for the purpose of offering a wider variety of content for our readers. The opinions expressed in this guest author article are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect those of GlobalSign.
