How We Perform Cybersecurity Assessments
Cybersecurity is no longer optional for modern organizations. However, it’s hard to know what you need without knowing where you already are. This is why, at Savant Solutions, we are proud to offer comprehensive cybersecurity assessments for our clients. This process can help your team gain a deeper understanding into where their systems are most protected and most vulnerable from cyberattacks.
Do I Need a Cybersecurity Assessment?
Certain companies must follow strict regulatory guidelines to protect sensitive personal data. Regular cybersecurity assessments are mandatory under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for many organizations involved in the healthcare industry. Digital payment processors also require routine assessments if they are subject to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS). We recommend conducting a cybersecurity assessment every year, especially if your team has grown significantly or you have made changes to critical systems.
According to a 2021 IBM report, the average cost of a data breach was over $4 million, a nearly 10% increase since 2020. Compromised credentials were responsible for 20% of such breaches, and lost business accounted for more than $1.5 million or 38% of the average cost. What’s more, every single record lost, whether in the form of a name, healthcare policy, or financial transaction, cost organizations about $161 each.
Prevention is clearly worth more than its weight in gold. Not only can a successful cyberattack compromise valuable data, it can also lead to legal and regulatory consequences. A cybersecurity assessment will identify weaknesses in your business-critical systems so they can be properly addressed before a problem arises.
Our Assessment Process
We will work alongside your team to determine exactly what you need to assess. From start to finish, we’ll take detailed notes on your current posture before providing our recommendations for remediation. Whether you’re concerned about compliance, disaster recovery, or simply the overall quality of your operation’s critical systems, our expert team will give you the peace of mind you deserve. The following is a brief overview of what you can expect from our cybersecurity assessments.
- Initial Meeting
Every one of our assessments begins with a preliminary meeting. We will thoroughly discuss your technical and organizational environment before scoping out an appropriate timeframe. On average, we can complete the entire assessment process in about two to three weeks’ time.
- Identify Strengths and Vulnerabilities
With your goals and needs in mind, we will move quickly to analyze the current status of your operation’s cybersecurity posture. Everything from networks and hardware devices to application databases and key infrastructure will fall under close scrutiny.
- Penetration Testing
Our team will then see how deeply they can penetrate into your network without authorized credentials. Penetration testing services provide real-time analysis of critical systems, and our digital-only approach is highly personalized to be exactly as invasive or noninvasive as the client requires.
- Remediation Plan
Once your systems have been scrutinized and tested, we will deliver a thorough report of our findings. This plan will include our expert recommendations for how to address any security issues with email, IoT, clouds, endpoints, applications, and networks moving forward.
Conclusion
All organizations have unique goals and challenges, and there is no successful one-size-fits-all approach to cybersecurity. Hackers now have countless tools at their disposal, from phishing techniques and ransomware to keyloggers and social engineering. Given the increasingly digital nature of modern business practices, quality cybersecurity is no longer optional. We recommend conducting a cybersecurity assessment at least annually to ensure your operation is protected against cyberattacks. Please feel free to reach out with questions or concerns, or for more information on the assessment process.