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Cybersecurity: Managing Without Panic
September 2024 by Patrick Houyoux LL.M. ULB, Brussels, Trinity College, Cambridge, UK. President – Director PT SYDECO
Cybersecurity is a critical issue in our hyperconnected society. However, amidst the daily reports of numerous threats and attacks, it is crucial not to panic. Staying rational and clear-headed allows you to make informed decisions to effectively protect your data and equipment without overspending on costly solutions.
Indeed, it is unnecessary to invest huge sums of money in security systems, especially when faced with an overwhelming number of solutions, often expensive from the U.S. Before making a decision, it’s important to reflect and carefully assess your real needs.
Steps to Effectively Secure Your Systems
1. Evaluate what needs protection
Identify the critical elements: data, machines, devices. Rank them in order of importance, prioritizing what is vital for you or your business, such as the data or tools without which your operation cannot function.
2. Geographical classification
After identifying the elements, organize them by geographical location for better protection planning.
3. Access mapping
Create a list of people or groups who need access to these elements, specifying what they need access to.
Once this mapping is complete, you can design a network architecture that best suits your needs.
Designing a Secure Network Architecture
• Network Segmentation
Segment your network according to the importance of the elements to be protected and by activity sector. For example, servers should be isolated in a separate network, inaccessible via Wi-Fi, while employees should be grouped according to their departments: customer service, accounting, administration, production, etc.
• Access Management
Decide on the type of access (Wi-Fi, cable) to assign to each sector. Avoid connections between different networks to prevent lateral virus spread and reduce the potential devastating effects of a cyberattack.
Implementing an Internal Security Policy
A security policy should be established to guide behavior and define access privileges. This should include:
• Security rules to follow,
• Access privileges, specifying:
o What each group of people can access,
o Who has access to these resources.
Choosing the Right Security Tools
When selecting protection tools, focus on your real needs. It is both unnecessary and expensive to try to protect everything. A poorly targeted investment is a waste of time and money.
• The most expensive tool is not always the best.
• Big brands are not always the most secure. Fortinet, for example, was recently hacked.
Your security tools should be adapted to your actual needs, the size of your business, and the nature of your data.
ARCHANGEL© 2.0: A Complete Security Solution
For a tailored security solution, the ARCHANGEL© 2.0 system offered by PT SYDECO provides a comprehensive package including:
• Hardware,
• Servers and programmed routers,
• A next-generation firewall,
• One or more VPN servers,
• A secure online file-sharing system,
• Backup service.
This protection system guarantees the best defense at competitive prices, with total flexibility. PT SYDECO also offers consulting services to help you implement micro-segmentation and establish security policies tailored to your specific needs.
