Effective breach disclosure

Understand your network: If a breach does occur, a business should be able to provide the relevant information to the Privacy Commissioner as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. Today’s networks include physical, virtualized, Cloud, IoT and industrial control systems and even the most seasoned security professionals find it difficult to account for every device on their network. This proliferation of inroads into the network opens up new opportunities for cyber criminals to strike — and they will take advantage of the weakest link. Advanced, self-learning technologies can gain an understanding of the entire network, leaving no device or connection behind.

Gain full visibility: New forms of attack are inconspicuous, moving laterally in networks to find “the crown jewels,” before sounding off any alarms. Subtle changes in the “normal” pattern-of-life in a network are incredibly difficult to detect and yet they are the harbingers of the most sophisticated and lethal cyber attacks. AI algorithms that mimic the human immune system can build an understanding of what is “normal” for a network and detect even the most subtle anomalies.

Adopt an inside-out approach: Sophisticated cyber-attacks routinely bypass legacy security tools, and insider threats are a constant risk. The only sensible way to approach cyber security is to accept that the threat is already inside. By adopting an inside-out approach, security teams can identify and eliminate threats at their source before they can escalate into a crisis.

David Masson is Canada country manager for Darktrace (www.darktrace.com)