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1. Importance of Proactive Cybersecurity Measures
To understand why safeguarding your organization over the summer is so crucial, let’s take a look at some of the biggest attacks in recent years.
Understanding the Seasonal Threat Landscape
Threat actors are aware of reduced staffing during holidays, and they often time their attacks accordingly. For instance, in the summer of 2021, cybercriminals orchestrated some of the most significant ransomware attacks in US history during holiday weekends.
The DarkSide group exploited a compromised password, likely obtained from a dark web leak, to launch a ransomware attack against Colonial Pipeline around Mother’s Day weekend. This led to widespread fuel shortages on the east coast of the US and a $4.4 million ransom payment.
That same year, the REvil group targeted global meat processor JBS over Memorial Day weekend, resulting in a $11 million ransom payment and significant operational disruptions across the US and Australia.
It is crucial to recognize these patterns and prepare accordingly to prevent history from repeating itself.
The Cost of Neglect
Failing to prepare can lead to severe financial losses, as illustrated in the examples above. This can cause widespread damage to your organization’s reputation, which makes recovery difficult. Proactive measures can reduce these risks and ensure business continuity.

2. Reviewing and Updating the Incident Response Plan (IRP)
One of the most critical steps in bolstering your cybersecurity defenses is regularly reviewing and updating your organization’s IRP.
The Role of an IRP
An IRP outlines the steps that your organization must take during a cybersecurity incident. It helps to contain the impact of the incident and limits the damage as much as possible. Ensure your IRP remains effective and up-to-date by reviewing it regularly.
Conducting a Test Run
Developing a realistic scenario and simulating an incident is the best way to put your IRP to the test. This test ensures everyone knows their roles and responsibilities if an incident occurs and highlights gaps in your plan. This lets you pinpoint areas that need improvement.

3. Conducting a Thorough Supply Chain Review
Regularly review your supply chain to improve your cost management, ensure compliance with regulations, increase transparency, and reveal new opportunities for your innovation. Most importantly, look for potential security loopholes. An emerging supply chain worry is open-source libraries in your code base. Those should be scanned with a SAST tool to understand any weaknesses your tools may introduce.
Assessing Vendor Security
Ensure that all vendors, including hardware and service providers, meet your security standards, as they are potential entry points for attackers.
Identifying Potential Vulnerabilities
Investigating past incidents involving your vendors can help you take preventative measures in your own organization by providing insights into potential vulnerabilities.

4. Penetration Testing for Enhanced Security
Penetration testing involves simulating an attack against your organization’s system. This helps you to check for vulnerabilities that threat actors could exploit.
Frequency of Testing
To identify new vulnerabilities and ensure your system remains protected, schedule penetration tests periodically. Perform these tests at least once a year and after significant system changes at a minimum.
Implementing Findings
It’s not enough just to carry out penetration tests; you must also act on the recommendations. Prioritize architectural changes that reduce your attack surface to provide a buffer against potential threats.

5. Comprehensive Network Assessment
A Comprehensive Network Assessment provides you with a detailed report that highlights where you’re performing well and where there’s room for improvement.
Ensuring Network Visibility
Complete visibility into your network gives you valuable insights into potential access points and blind spots. This includes printers, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and cloud services.
Implementing Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
EDR tools integrate real-time data and alerts from global threat databases. This helps your security team quickly detect and respond to threats. Ensure you have robust EDR solutions in place and review their effectiveness regularly.
Managing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policies
With more employees working outside the office, BYOD has become a way to maintain productivity and accessibility in the office. Improve security by consistently reviewing and enforcing Network Access Controls (NAC) for personal devices. Also, policies for mobile devices should be stringent and regularly updated.

6. Vulnerability Assessment and Patch Management
Vulnerability assessment scans for vulnerabilities and prioritizes them for remediation once they have been identified. Patch management is the process of applying these remediations.
Identifying and Prioritizing Vulnerabilities
New vulnerabilities are discovered all the time, so you should conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify exposed assets. At the minimum, you should aim to perform these assessments quarterly. Prioritize patching critical vulnerabilities that pose the most significant risk.
Coordinating Timely Patches
Vulnerabilities can lead to breaches, so you should address them as soon as possible. Develop a system to patch vulnerabilities, especially zero-day exploits in which attackers take advantage of unknown vulnerabilities within 24 hours.

7. Comprehensive Risk Assessment
Risk assessments identify potential risks and evaluate their likelihood and potential impact. You can use them to implement policies to reduce risk across the organization.
Evaluating Current Threats
Assess both internal and external threats relevant to your organization. Evaluate who might be affected by the threats, what you can do to minimize and control the risks, who needs to carry out the action, and when. Record your findings, and regularly review the controls you have put in place to make sure they still work effectively.
Industry-Specific Risks
Identify threats targeting your industry specifically. Similar industries often face similar threats, so you should pay attention to incidents affecting your competitors.

8. Enhancing Employee Awareness
Educating your employees about cyber risks and fostering a culture of security in your organization is one of the most effective ways to strengthen your defenses and stay vigilant against attackers.
Regular Training Programs
Conducting regular cybersecurity training sessions helps to make sure staff are aware of the latest threats. It also means they’ll have a better idea of how to respond in the face of a potential attack.
Phishing Assessments
Phishing assessments evaluate the susceptibility of your staff members to potential attacks. They help to identify gaps in employee awareness and provide new opportunities for targeted training. To stay up to date with advancing threats, you should schedule phishing assessments at least every 90 days.

9. Tabletop Exercises and Threat Simulations
Tabletop exercises and threat simulations help your teams to develop their security strategies. It also gives them an opportunity to practice their responses in a controlled environment.
Simulating Real-World Scenarios
Simulating real-world threats helps your teams to gain the experience required to respond to them. It also fosters collaboration and cooperation between employees, which benefits other aspects of your organization.
By diligently following this checklist, you can help your organization significantly reduce its vulnerability to cyberattacks and ensure business continuity, even during periods of reduced staffing.