8 Steps to Better Security

Chapter 8Step 8: Build Redundancy and Resilience

One of the most important things your business can do to thrive in the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape is to assure that your data and computer systems have the capacity, bandwidth, and redundancy to weather any storm you may encounter. A storm can be figurative and occur in the form of a brutal series of cyberattacks, but a storm can also be literal. What if a natural disaster hits your datacenter, factory, or corporate office? In this final step, you'll be thinking like a Girl Scout (or Girl Guide, in my country): always be prepared!

The data your business stores is essential for its survival. That includes the software applications your company uses, financial records, network logs, authentication credentials, reports, research and development, employee records, stakeholder documentation, inventory systems—the list goes on and on. Cyberattacks are inevitable, and they can threaten the integrity and availability of your mission-critical applications and records. There are also accidental risks, such as human error, natural disasters, and electrical power problems. You must prepare for anything that can happen.

Understanding Data and Networks

For the purposes of this chapter, I must define some terminology you may not have seen before. Endpoints are the PCs, mobile devices, and internet of things (IoT) devices that people use to interact with computer networks. The PC in someone's cubicle and the iPhone in your pocket ...