Creating a secure path to reach your business goals

Addressing and reducing cybersecurity risks is a critical initiative for all organizations as key business functions become more technology-enabled, companies and business partners become more interconnected, and threat actors become more creative and aggressive. In order to move forward and grow with confidence, companies need a proactive cybersecurity approach that can identify and address threats before they derail business operations. 

RSM’s cybersecurity risk professionals have outlined 10 specific domains that companies should focus on to reduce exposure and take more control of their cybersecurity environment. These domains work in concert to establish a robust foundation for understanding potential vulnerabilities, managing threats and recovering effectively in a timely manner if an incident occurs. Together, they give companies the tools to address current threats with the flexibility to effectively prepare for emerging risks. 

• Attack surface management: Continually evaluate the attack surface to expose vulnerabilities and points of compromise.
• Resilience and recovery: Maintain and recover to normal operations in the wake of a potentially destabilizing event.
• Secure cloud: Design and deploy secure cloud platforms to enable confident workload migration and digital transformation.
• Architecture and engineering: Design, protect and mature cross-platform secure architecture anchored in standards and principles. Deploy and operate cybersecurity solutions and technologies.
• Application security: Drive an agile security mindset throughout your development pipeline, minimizing technical debt and accelerating secure platform deployments.
• Detect and respond: Detect anomalous behavior in a timely manner and drive an informed response and resolution.
• Strategy and risk: Develop and implement security programs to meet complex transformational business needs in the future.
• Compliance and governance: Guide the alignment of cybersecurity efforts with the broader governance, compliance, certification and accreditation obligations.
• Digital identity: Manage secure access to the organization’s resources for individuals, systems and devices.
• Emerging technologies: Understand the implications of business and technological innovation driving the evolution of secure concepts.

These 10 domains represent a comprehensive, modular approach to cybersecurity risk management. Companies do not have to address each domain at once, but a plan should be put in place to target each area and leave no stone unturned when dealing with potential threats.

In addition, the domain framework is designed to meet companies where they are on their cybersecurity journey. In many cases, a company may have select domains already covered. But companies can continue progress seamlessly by working with a trusted cybersecurity risk advisor to quickly fill any gaps in specific areas.

When each domain is covered effectively, business stakeholders and users have the critical benefit of a cybersecurity risk framework that is designed to grow with the business, mitigating risks as operations and threats evolve.

Every organization is constantly exposed to potential cybersecurity risks on a daily basis. How they manage those challenges can mean the difference between sustained success and a harmful breach or business disruption. By properly addressing these 10 domains, companies can take a more active stance against cybersecurity threats and continue progress toward achieving business goals.