Blog: Proactivity and Testing, are Key to Optimise Security

16 Nov 2017
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Author: HSD Foundation

By Richard Franken, executive director HSD

 

To which extent do organisations work with an integral approach when it comes to (cyber) security? Is there an overall security policy as proactive solution to secure your digital and physical infrastructure with preventive instruments? To create a resilient future of your organisation, testing all your organisational facilities on a structural base is crucial. Think about the Human Factor and digital security aspects of your company, but also about your organisational, structural engineering and technical security facilities. How secure is your organisation with these factors in mind?

 

Testing is essential like how you test your evacuation drill once or twice a year. For example, HSD partner De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) will start testing the cyber security of banks, stock exchanges and clearinghouses. A great initiative for an integral approach. DNB is all about financial stability and the security of facilities is getting a bigger role in the financial world. By deploying legal hackers to test red teams and the virtual accessibility of Dutch financial institutions, the DNB can map what needs to be done to optimise their security facilities. But supplementary also the internal and external physical approach of data, as well as the right conduct of employees needs to be integrated in the structural control of the tests.

 

5 steps to a proactive structural security optimisation

What do you need to act structural and proactive?


• Look how current risks have been screened.
• Check if your risk-analyses are future-scenario-based.
• Check if the results of a practical test like red-teaming are integrated in your test.
• Check if these steps are being executed frequently enough, based on the development of the organisation and its environment and focused on all kinds of security risks.
• Keep on testing all the elements of the total security plan on an ad random base.

 

Not a single approach
Security is not a single approach but works when parties work together and share knowledge. That is why at the HSD Office, we stimulate and facilitate collaboration between partners within the Dutch Security Cluster HSD. In addition we provide access to talent, capital, market, knowledge and innovation. Investing in security is key for the Dutch position as secure digital gateway to Europe.


Contribute now by starting a structural and proactive security approach within your organisation! Or contribute with new innovative ideas to increase the security of the digital/physical infrastructure and processes of organisations! Because only together we secure the future!

 

If you have a vision or any questions how, contact our cluster to see how we can work together!

HSD Partners involved