Cyber Security Assessment and Behavior Benchmark Strategies

Behavioral cyber security encompasses the habitual actions, regular routines, and consistent practices employees engage in regarding cyber security. This behavior is a crucial component of a robust cyber security stance.

However, many organizations, despite having explicit guidelines and procedures for managing cyber security practices, frequently lack a defined strategy and specific criteria for evaluating their efficacy. This discussion aims to highlight the significance of establishing these criteria and provide practical steps for evaluating cyber security practices.

How to Define Cyber Security Behavior Benchmarks?

Most organizations are equipped with modern, industry-standard best practices to guide positive cyber security behavior. This includes password policies, access management, remote work guidelines, etc. But all that goes down the drain if these mandates are impractical, too complicated, or employees simply ignore them.

Organizations need clear benchmarks to evaluate the effectiveness of their cyber security procedures and employee behavior. These benchmarks will serve as a bridge between policy documentation and what happens in employees’ minds and actions during everyday work.

When setting behavioral cyber security benchmarks, it’s important to consider factors such as:

1. Industry Standards

Benchmarks should adhere to the latest industry standards, ensuring that the company follows the latest cyber security methodologies and best practices. For example, authentication methods constantly evolve. Are employees using the latest standards like passkeys and authentication apps?

2. Organizational Goals

While following industry best practices is an excellent start, benchmarks should also align with broader organizational goals. This ensures that cyber security measures contribute directly to the overall success and security of the organization.

3. Regulatory Requirements

Depending on your industry, you may have to consider certain legal and regulatory obligations. Compliance is non-negotiable, so these requirements must be reflected in your benchmarks.

4. Technological Changes

Technology advances seemingly every day. Your benchmarks must be adaptable to these changes and capable of incorporating the latest trends.

Strategies and Methods for Assessing Cyber Security Behavior

Assessing cyber security behavior examines how employees react to cyber security policies in their everyday work. There are several methods to assess employee behavior:

1. Continuous Monitoring

Implement systems that continuously monitor cyber security practices in real-time. For example, tracking login attempts, access to sensitive data, and adherence to security protocols. Continuous monitoring helps in the early detection of deviations from established cyber security norms. While these acts might seem invasive, they should be fine as long as there’s transparency and compliance with legal and ethical standards.

2. Simulated Security Scenarios

Conducting phishing simulations and other exercises to evaluate employee responses. It’s important to see these exercises as a way to identify knowledge gaps, not as reasons to punish people for their poor decision-making. Sure, failing a phishing exercise several times isn’t ideal, but it’s an excellent learning opportunity to ensure the same mistake doesn’t happen under a real threat.

3. Data Analysis

The IT department should collect data from various sources, such as login and user activity logs, incident reports, etc. These are excellent data sources that will paint a clear picture of current behavior patterns, allowing for more targeted remediation approaches.

While employees are being “investigated” for their behavior, that doesn’t mean they should be negatively judged about what they do or don’t do. Instead, employees should be an integral part of the assessment process, providing valuable feedback about the practicality and effectiveness of existing cyber security policies and practices.

Identifying Trends, Patterns, and Areas for Improvement in Cyber Security Behavior

With these cyber security assessments, organizations can uncover specific trends and patterns in cyber security behavior, which helps pinpoint areas requiring attention or improvement.

One key benefit of behavior assessments is identifying emerging threats. Cyber threats constantly evolve, and behaviors that were safe in the past may expose you to new attack types. Organizations can anticipate potential vulnerabilities and take proactive steps to mitigate them by analyzing trends and patterns in security incidents and employee behavior.

Employee behavior analysis shows how employees interact with existing cyber security measures, which is crucial. Are there specific policies that are consistently bypassed? Are certain procedures too complex or time-consuming? This insight helps tailor cyber security measures to be more user-friendly and effective, thereby increasing compliance and reducing risks.

Finally, creating a feedback loop is vital. This means translating the findings from these cyber security assessments into actionable changes. It also involves communicating these changes back to employees, seeking their input, and making them feel involved in the cyber security process.