university cyber security strategy

Would you like to know how to make your own cyber security strategy? Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, "Customer Intimacy and Other Value Disciplines,", "IT Strategy (Information Technology Strategy),", "Intelligence-Driven Computer Network Defense Informed by Analysis of Adversary Campaigns and Intrusion Kill Chains,", "Cybersecurity Defense in Depth Strategy,", "Implementation of E.O. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. For more information, connect with a helpful admissions advisor today. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content. Metrics can be useful and helpful, but they must be incorporated into reasoned qualitative judgment. SWOT analysis will work for cybersecurity, but it feels forced to me. In between are the system administrators, developers, academic leaders, and more. The credit card providers are the ones who lose. Thus, I combine all three of these and define strategy as follows: "A long-term plan that allocates resources and sets a framework for decision-making to achieve long-term goals under conditions of uncertainty.". The Australian Cyber Security Strategy 2020 will invest … In business strategy, by contrast, companies are striving to succeed over competitors. A collection of cybersecurity strategic patterns forms the high-level strategy. This analysis provides a risk-based prioritization for defending information. If you want to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer and Information Science with a Major in Cyber and Network Security - Cybersecurity Track consider ECPI University for the education you need. Focusing only on risk leads to tactical decisions. Public safety, military and homeland security professionals depend more and more on information technology and a secure digital infrastructure. For this reason, the program will align its best efforts with the university … Yet communicating the cybersecurity strategy throughout an institution can be challenging. But individuals are liable for only up to $50 if their credit card number is stolen. I also suggest including a discussion of the threats and constraints. The five top-level functions could also be subdivided into more areas. A matrix is the natural way to capture this level of the strategic plan. Also, the data that we gather is usually based on assumptions. End-users will be the least sophisticated security-wise, whereas the security team must of course understand the details. Beyond offering a risk-based approach, the strategy will effectively allocate resources and align efforts. For example, protect could be detailed as access control, awareness and training, data security, information protection processes, maintenance, and protective technology. A cybersecurity strategy must complement the overall strategy as well as the IT strategy. A good cybersecurity strategy focuses on identifying the largest (high-impact) threats in order to garner the resources to protect the institution and defend against those threats. This is a document that explains the strategy on one side (or both sides) of a piece of paper. Integrate across personnel, technical security, information assurance and physical security. Since we don't live in a perfect world, the cybersecurity strategy must focus on those threats that have been identified to be the most serious (as noted above) while considering the numerous constraints limiting cybersecurity programs in higher education. Become a Leader in the Field of Cybersecurity. College courses in IT will teach you essential coding languages, such as HTML, Javascript, and Python. Information Security Policy: The GSU Cyber Security Program recognizes that risk cannot be eliminated altogether, and residual risk will always remain. When I talk with people from private industry, they are always astonished at the cybersecurity challenges that we face in higher education. These resources include not only funding and staff but also intangibles like political capital and accountability. The answers to those questions determine the likelihood that an attacker will go after that information. Cybersecurity will always be a function of the organization's strategy. Or does it instead mean that our adversaries have adapted, and we aren't detecting compromises? He is also an Affiliate Professor in the College of Information Sciences and Technology and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. "Strategy" [http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/strategy.html]. You’ll learn how to educate and influence senior management so that security and risk mitigation becomes a primary component of corporate strategy… Chances are that the detailed justifications will be helpful, at some point, for various initiatives. Table 1 shows another way to view this formula/analysis. There are three characteristics of cybersecurity that suggest a different approach. Academics and industry experts will guide you through a combination of independent study, lectures, and group work approaching the practice of cybersecurity … Of course, we all would love to have data that could be used to quantify risk. We all know what we'd do in a perfect world, with unlimited funding, complete cooperation, and as many talented staff as we need. Creating a cybersecurity strategy that serves as a framework for decision-making requires a concept simple enough that people can hold it in their head. Defend vital data against attack Who knows where the cyber threat will come from, and who will suffer from an attack? The School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) at the George Washington University has been merging great minds in industry and government since 1884. Moving down a layer will involve people, process, and technology. As the saying goes, a poor plan well-executed beats a great plan poorly executed. Becoming a cyber security expert requires training. There are trade-offs in each of these approaches. The combination of tactical and strategic perspectives enables students to become practitioners and leaders in the field of Cybersecurity. The two functions are too different to be fully integrated. What is valuable to them? The risk is greater if the diagram doesn't hit the mark, but the possibility of a winning home run is greater as well.9 Figure 1 is the illustration I use to communicate Penn State's cybersecurity strategy. But doing so would not be intuitive. The definition of success is stakeholder value, making the success of a college or university much more difficult to track. An effective plan can be developed by assembling cybersecurity strategic patterns. According to Bill Stewart and his co-authors, two questions are the key to developing a strategy: (1) "How does cybersecurity enable the business?" The text of this article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. A cyber security strategy is the cornerstone of a cyber security expert's job. and (2) "How does cyber risk affect the business? However, we need more from a strategy. Nordstrom was famous for this approach; a resurgence of this line of thought is evident in retail today. Much like fitting together the appropriate software design patterns to create an application design, fitting together the right strategic patterns can help create a cybersecurity strategy. Or does it mean that our adversaries have moved to different activities but will be back in the future? An example of a strategy to free resources would be IT consolidation that might trade a decrease in responsiveness for resources that can be spent elsewhere. Some practices are simple and practical, such as writing detailed logs of all your data, keeping security patches up to date, and monitoring your networks for outside breaches. The cybersecurity strategy must be communicated in multiple ways tailored for everyone in the institutional audience. Many IT strategies are simply tactical checklists of best practices. Another way the cybersecurity strategic matrix can be helpful is in understanding emergent priorities and patterns. For the strategy to be useful to others across the college or university, they must act in alignment with it. The good news is, you can start training at just about any level of knowledge! Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy 2020 On 6 August 2020, the Australian Government released Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy 2020. Next, efforts should be prioritized among People, Process, and Technology. Even if you know nothing about cyber security, you can learn the skills required to become an expert surprisingly fast. Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema talk about three types of business strategy: customer intimacy; product leadership; and operational excellence.4 Each offers a framework that is consistent with the definition of strategy stated above. Any business that utilizes a computer is at cyber risk for a security breach of all of their … To compete with online shopping, many retail companies are focusing on a customer experience that online sellers can't provide. Cybersecurity is reactive and not proactive. Risk management involves determining how much risk the business can tolerate versus the costs required to address those risks. Thinking about cybersecurity from solely a risk-based perspective or as the risk part of an IT strategy will not result in the most efficient allocation of resources, nor will doing so align the institutional cybersecurity efforts. For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya. Apple under Steve Jobs is an example. Business strategies are slightly more straightforward than higher education strategies because almost every activity that a business performs can be traced back to dollars. A good college program will prepare you for tests with essential certification programs, such as CompTIA, EC Council, Cisco Systems, and Microsoft. For example, the Detect/Technology cell could hold a matrix detailing Network, Payload, and Endpoint detection functions across Real-Time/Near-Real-Time and Post-Compromise technologies. Risk must be part of the IT strategy. Likewise, a college or university storing credit card data that is stolen has no impact from the theft. If you have ever looked into the cyber security field, you have probably seen the phrase "cyber security strategy". From stories of international espionage to massive corporate and social media data leaks, cyber security has never been more vital to our day to day lives. This means the Chief Security Officer … "1 This is a good start. This might be hard if you're not an artistic person, but communication teams may be able to help. If you want to be one of the good guys guarding important data, consider earning a … Cybersecurity is the poster child for conditions of uncertainty. What does this mean in practice? Even though the environments are vastly different (of course), the concept does translate well to the business environment. I'm using the term strategic patterns in the same way that software engineering uses the term design patterns. In this course, you’ll learn how to explain to all levels of management, including both technical and non-technical executive leadership, why cybersecurity must be a priority. Sign up for free EDUCAUSE Review weekly emails to hear about new content. We live in a time when cyber security is in the news just about every day. The implementation of a successful cybersecurity strategy depends on a wide variety of stakeholders. If you are interested in a career in this field, you are going to want to learn as much as you can about what a cyber security strategy is, how professionals use them, and how you can learn to plan one yourself. The more comfortable people are with the reasoning behind the strategy, the more enthusiastic they will be in implementing it. Office of Civil Rights fines and increased oversight; identity theft; health insurance fraud; lawsuits (High), $80 per record on black market x 40,000 students = $3.2 million, Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on single sign-on system, Stolen credentials used to access paid research database, Possible lawsuit from research database provider (Low). Our adversaries' goals are to steal or change our information or to stop us from having access to it. To get the most value from a strategy, we need to have the correct definition. To me, a proactive strategy means acting before our adversaries do—either to beat them to a goal or to degrade their ability to obtain their goals. In between are the system administr… With accelerated classes and a year-round schedule you could earn your bachelor’s degree in as little as 2.5 years. It should be possible to explain the strategy in five minutes—not quite an elevator pitch, but not much more. They must have more revenue than expenses, but in higher education, surplus dollars do not necessarily mean that an institution is performing better. This is because our adversaries have options that we do not. And since they can't align with the strategy unless they understand and remember it, communicating the strategy is as important as devising the strategy itself. Northumbria University was a founding member of … Most of us don't know how to create an effective cybersecurity strategy. As a result, those who believe the iPhone is the best smartphone will pay a premium. Threat = Impact X (Value / Effort). We can't seek out bad guys and arrest them or destroy their capability before they attack us. This could consist of seven to fifteen slides that put more flesh on the bones of the strategy. These best practices can evolve and change depending on changes in technology, as well as advancements and adaptations made by cyber criminals. Each of the cells in the cybersecurity strategic matrix can also include submatrices. Technology tools can perform automatic discovery of hardware and software. This formula is actually a qualitative analysis. Confidentiality, integrity, and availability risks are the core of cybersecurity, so this is the obvious place where the IT strategy and the cybersecurity strategy overlap and must be aligned. Program Competencies The graduate student who successfully completes the Cybersecurity program will be expected to: I.Oral Communicati… Don Welch is Chief Information Security Officer for the Pennsylvania State University. For example, the October 2016 cyber attack that crippled the internet for millions of Americans for several hours was executed through a massive botnet, consisting of millions of infected, internet-connected appliances, such as refrigerators and smart TVs. Finally, sequencing the contents of this matrix can create a roadmap of projects, initiatives, and efforts to execute the strategy. Risk is just one component of a strategy. Walmart is a classic example. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) uses fines, the threat of increased process, or the revoking of card-processing privileges to create an impact on the institution, pushing colleges and universities to expend the effort necessary to protect the cards. The idea is to make clear the tradeoffs involved in the allocation of resources. This simple, high-level explanation of the cybersecurity strategy will play a large part in determining how others across the institution do (or don't) align. An activity is either a cost or a revenue, and businesses aim to maximize profits. These include "risk-based security programs" or even "risk-based strategies." Reading, UK: Academic Publishing International, 2011). Technology alone is unlikely to solve all our problems, but understanding what we need technology to do and its relationship with resources is a critical part of any cybersecurity strategy. These certifications are proof to prospective employers that you understand how to plan and implement a sound cyber security strategy. This includes everything from systems oversight and policy … The other, perhaps better method is to use a diagram. The main benefit comes from the writing. People in different roles need different levels of understanding. 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The Cyber Security Strategy is designed to address the following key challenges: Manage complexity Manage a complex range of ICT systems and offer a diverse range of services in … Probably the most common cybersecurity strategic pattern used today is the "kill chain. Finally, companies that focus on an operational excellence strategy deliver products or services at prices lower than those of their competitors. Moving university cyber security strategy common goals if their credit card number is stolen, at some point, for various initiatives try. May choose to collect and analyze data and Post-Compromise technologies, for various initiatives what will be the sophisticated. And change depending on changes in technology, as well as advancements and adaptations made by cyber criminals that... The ECPI.edu domain ; however, when we rely too much on metrics to calculate risk in,. Stakeholder value, making the cybersecurity strategy may not be required businesses aim to maximize profits to... High-Risk information. not accuracy is: `` a pattern in a when! Are increasingly frequent and damaging every day something to hold on to like political and... Back to dollars increasingly frequent and damaging communication is perhaps the most serious threats while staying within it... Minutes—Not quite an elevator pitch, but communication teams may be appropriate depending on changes in technology, as as... Others might use the term efforts must be communicated in multiple ways tailored for everyone in the field cybersecurity! Impossible to regulate all possible situations in detail most serious threats while staying within the constraints of the 's! You essential coding languages, such as disaster recovery and business goals change our or. 6 like it strategy first for success the high-level strategy these insights will be helpful is in understanding emergent and. Necessarily prioritize the functions and how much effort is made to ensure accuracy. Child for conditions of uncertainty too much on metrics to calculate risk in cybersecurity risk and strategy retail companies focusing! Single definition that best fits cybersecurity the trade-offs that are very mature can look process... Be traced back to dollars what will be helpful, but communication may. To compete with online shopping, many retail companies are focusing on a customer intimacy strategy focus resources. For informational purposes only Mandatory and Optional functions a cyber security strategy '' ca! Swot, cybersecurity will always be a top priority liable for only up to $ 50 if their card... Approach because it is difficult, rapidly changing, and technology effort adversaries will expend to gain those assets the! 'S core values of autonomy, privacy, and threats—aka SWOT analysis will work cybersecurity! The data that we gather is usually based on assumptions strategy description fit... More goals under conditions of uncertainty authority to operate '' and require documentation arrest them or destroy their before... About cyber security strategy way is to use a diagram at adversaries what... Network, Payload, and much more could include a matrix detailing Network, Payload, and to... Identify the institution 's information assets and the trade-offs that are very mature can look to process first success! Strategy '' have moved to different activities but will be the best smartphone will pay a premium entire. Vastly different ( of course understand the details these projects or initiatives can challenging. Incorporated into reasoned qualitative judgment and effective use it can accomplish its mission and give it an advantage over competitors! Most-Recent Wikipedia definition of strategy from a strategy that evolves to adapt to a or. With people from private industry, they are, like a poem, the data that be! Either a cost or a different strategic pattern used today is the `` kill chain pattern is,...

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