Top 3 Signs Your Cybersecurity Isn't Up To Snuff

Brian Berger • September 15, 2022

Technology is a magical thing. Thanks to its advancement, we can now store billions of data sets in the cloud that can be accessed from just about anywhere. Businesses have quickly started to rely on clouds, networks, the Internet of Things, and more to keep their processes streamlined. Though it is a wonderful thing, this cloud-based business world does have its downfalls. Cybercriminals have been cracking codes and profiting from weak security solutions for years. Many businesses don't realize they're in danger of attack until it's too late. Here are three signs that suggest your company's cybersecurity isn't up to snuff.


Your Network is Not Secure

The first red flag to look out for is your network. Firstly, does your company have their own private network? If you do, is it secure? Many business owners are lulled into a false sense of security because nearly all networks are classified as "secure." What they don't realize is that there are many, many different levels of security when it comes to networks. The most secure networks have many layers of security protocols in place at the edge of the network and throughout it. Here are a few things to look for:


  • Firewalls
  • Anti-virus and anti-malware software
  • Network segmentation
  • Access control
  • Secure cloud storage
  • Data loss prevention plans and systems
  • Virtual Private Networks (VPN)


There are many more moving parts to a truly secure network, but these are some of the fastest and easiest to spot. If you're missing any of these key players, chances are good that your network isn't as secure as you might think. Network Situational Awareness is key to understanding and protecting your infrastructure from cybercriminals. You should have a continuous view of the entire network to spot any abnormal happenings or unusual behavior analytics. The more safeguards you have for your network, the harder it will be for unauthorized visitors to get their hands on your sensitive data. Network Situational Awareness is absolutely key to protecting your business. Do a deep dive into your network to see if you have everything you need to make it truly secure. If you wind weak spots or blind spots, it's time to call in the experts to help you better your system. 


You Do Not Have A Cybersecurity Continuous Monitoring System

Another immediate red flag to look out for is lack of continuous monitoring solutions. Cybersecurity continuous monitoring enables awareness capabilities to quickly access a stream of real-time data reflecting the state of risk to your security posture, the network, endpoints, and even cloud devices and applications. Cytellix has created an all-in-one, 360-degree view of the entire company called the Cytellix Cyber Watch Portal (CCWP). This always-on solution acts as a visibility dashboard, allowing you to see all aspects of the company from one view. It will monitor behaviors, network security, new devices, potential weaknesses, and more for you and can even implement solutions on your behalf. The Cytellix Cyber Watch Portal keeps an eye on everything so that you don't have to. When you have continuous cybersecurity monitoring, you'll find abnormalities or new weaknesses almost immediately so that you can make corrections as needed. The stronger your monitoring system, the less likely you are to suffer a cyberattack. To put into perspective exactly how much a solution like the Cytellix Cyber Watch Portal can help, let's look at what it has to offer:


  • Quickly identify a steady-state that is used as a baseline for what is normal within the system.
  • Patrol and protect endpoints and perimeters.
  • Detect breaches as soon as they occur.
  • Adapt to changing environmental infrastructure to tune and refine results.
  • Report, map, and visualize data from the entire business. A visual expression of your network and current IT infrastructure. 
  • Alert and warn about anomalies and prioritize them by urgency. 
  • Receive visibility of every device, and every connection, on your network, so you have a complete and accurate inventory of all routes and appliances that run on it.


It's Been Awhile Since You've Assessed Risk And Compliance

The last thing you want to look for to determine if your cybersecurity measures are adequate is how often you assess risk and compliance to security regulations. If your company can't remember the last time these things were looked at, you're likely at risk for cyberattack. Frequently assessing your performance is key to spotting issues and patching holes before they become problems. Managing risk can be a huge undertaking, especially if you work with third-party vendors. If you're looking to accurately assess the risk involved with your current infrastructure, call in the experts like the Cytellix team! Governance and Risk Management Solution will measure and "rank" an organization or family of organizations cybersecurity posture to ensure that they are not a weak link in your security system. Cytellix can identify high-risk 3rd parties, assess their cyber risk, potential vulnerability impact, and monitor controls to keep risk low.


While you're assessing risk, you may as well assess your compliance to cybersecurity regulations as well. Professionals like Cytellix can handle that for you as well. We will take a look at your cybersecurity solutions to make sure you are in compliance with industry standard frameworks  such as: ISO27000, NIST CSF, PCI, SEC, NIST-800-171 and CMMC and others. Regulated industries are required regulations, so it's good to get a jumpstart on preparing now. We will assess your current system and offer suggestions to help you meet standards. We can even help you design, build, and implement new solutions that we suggest based on our assessment. When you have a better understanding of risk and your current cybersecurity standards, it's easier to prepare for the future and improve the business. 


There are, of course, many other indicators that your cybersecurity is not up to par, but these three are some of the most fundamental and easiest to spot. When in doubt, it's always a good idea to contact experts in the field who can do a complete scan of your infrastructure and let you know what you're doing well with and what needs improvement. Cytellix has helped hundreds of companies improve their cybersecurity and we can help you too! Contact our team at (949) 215-8889 or leave us a message at https://www.cytellix.com/contact. We look forward to hearing from you soon. 

small business cybersecurity

MSP SPOTLIGHT: Go Beyond Baseline Security.

By Walt Czerminski • August 30, 2023
Explore the challenges MSPs face in providing holistic cybersecurity support to their SMB clients and discuss how a programmatic-optimized approach can help bridge the gap, ensuring enterprise-level protection without breaking the bank for SMBs, while adding revenue opportunities for MSPs.

The Clock is Ticking for CMMC 2.0: Here’s Everything You Need to Know – START NOW

By Brian Berger • August 23, 2023
The Department of Defense (DoD) has formally presented the CMMC regulation for official evaluation, marking the start of its journey toward formal announcement. Every regulation proposed by the executive branch, including this one, undergoes scrutiny by OIRA, a division of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The significance of this step is that the previously mentioned "delays" in the CMMC process were due to the time taken for the DoD to forward the rule to OIRA. With this action now taken, the subsequent stages of the rulemaking procedure are underway. Nevertheless, due to the intricate nature of federal rulemaking, several more stages need to be navigated before the CMMC becomes a part of contracts. The following scenarios should be considered for preparation for compliance and certification for the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). Scenario 1: Proposed Rule Submission to OIRA: The Department of Defense (DoD) has officially submitted the CMMC rule for regulatory review to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). Review and Publication: After OIRA's review, which takes an average of 66 business days, the CMMC rule is expected to be published in late October 2023. Public Comment Period: A standard 60-day public comment period will follow, ending in December 2023. Finalization: The CMMC rule will be published as a "proposed rule", which means it will only become effective after the agency responds to public comments in a final rule. Based on historical data, the average time for DoD proposed rules to be published as final rules is 333 business days. This means the CMMC final rule is expected between February and April 2025 . Phased Roll-Out: The DoD plans a 3-year phased roll-out for CMMC contract clauses. Assuming the final rule is published in Q1 2025, all relevant DoD contracts will contain CMMC by 2028. Scenario 2: Interim Final Rule Immediate Effectiveness : If the CMMC rule is published as an "interim final rule", it will be effective before the agency responds to public comments . This means the rule would be in effect and appear in contracts in Q1 2024 . Rarity of Interim Final Rules: Such rules are rare and bypass the usual democratic process of "notice and comment" rulemaking. They are typically granted in urgent situations, like the need to enhance national security. So when should you start preparing? Before we start with the background and changes, let’s talk about the "Big Elephant” in the room. Clearly, the updated compliance and certification process developed by the DoD and the non-profit organization liaisons has been long overdue with a lot of anticipated deadlines that never materialized. And with the latest announcements it does seem to be mildly reminiscent of the movie comedy and colloquial meaning of Groundhog Day. Since the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry I found humor in relativity, not cynicism. Opinion: This is different and the information we have in the DoD supply chain must be protected from our adversaries. This is a serious issue and needs clear and precise guidelines as the supply chain will not spend money on the protection of the information that protects national security unless they must as it is deemed as a complex undertaking. That’s an unfortunate reality. We have seen the start and restart of the cyber programs for DoD for the past 5-years, what makes this different? The implementation of the CMMC rule in contracts will be phased in over a period of 3 years, with all relevant DoD Defense Industrial Base (DIB) contracts containing CMMC by 2028. For a company with 50-100 employees operating in the DoD supply chain, it takes an average of 12-18 months to prepare for assessment and audit for eventual certification, with certification being the ultimate requirement for compliance. Therefore, the time is now to start the process if you plan to hold government contracts in 2024/2025. There are also varied flow down requirements that need to also be taken into consideration. Understanding Plan of Action and Milestones (POAM) There is now the ability to present interim status vs 100% compliance as we have with the current DFARS and NIST requirements. These interim reports can be handled in the traditional manner by presenting a Plan of Action and Milestones (POAM) that have a less than 180-day completion date for allowed baseline gaps. Unallowed gaps will have a “No POAM” designation and need to be implemented. If you have any doubts, work with a highly skilled 3 rd party who has expertise in these standards and a track record of enabling comprehensive successful standards-based cyber programs. The information presented by the suppliers in POAM’s or claiming 100% compliance will be evaluated and can and will likely trigger audits if certain high-level cyber controls are not met or the 100% compliance score creates suspicion of a false claim. Be careful to present accurate and validated information. So, what does this all mean? You must be compliant with DFARS clause 252.204.7012 and NIST 800-171 today. This is a requirement of your current contracts, and the False Claims Act applies to all cyber compliance representations. If you are not compliant, you could be subject to civil penalties and criminal charges. You need to start preparing for CMMC 2.0 today. The deadline for the final rule is 18 months from now, and it will take an average company in the DoD supply chain 12-18 months to become assessment ready. Waiting is not an option. Waiting is a bad idea. Why you ask? It is very clear that most suppliers and Small and Medium Businesses are not cyber ready and nowhere near compliant with any cyber framework. The timeframe for a typical business to understand, develop and implement full compliance is more than 1-year assuming they have the skills and personnel to complete the objectives. CMMC 2.0 clearly aligns with DFARS and NIST, so it is the best way to protect your organization's sensitive data. Don't delay, start preparing today! *If you have any questions, please reach out to our experts – [email protected]
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