Core Tech Guide for Cybersecurity

Cyberattacks happen every day – a countless amount. The biggest and most notable events make the headlines while many that don’t still have a significant effect on businesses, putting everything from intellectual property to a company’s reputation in jeopardy.

It’s our job at DirectDefense to keep beating the “You Need Cybersecurity” drum, but we also know small and medium-sized businesses may struggle to adopt the protections they need. There are so many tools and solutions out there that have the same or similar functions and it can be incredibly difficult to know what’s a smart investment and what is or isn’t giving your company the security oversight it really needs. 

In this post, I’m going to discuss the 6 core technologies you need to have for basic cybersecurity protection – what they are, and how to select the right solutions for your organization. 

Without just one of these 6 technologies, your business is likely to have a sizable gap in its defenses. With all 6, you’ve established a minimum baseline for modern cybersecurity.  And with so many advanced threats happening daily, there is no reason not to make the investment in this core tech.

Table Stakes for Cybersecurity: The Six Must-Have Technologies

1. Firewalls

Firewalls are a basic security requirement if your business uses the internet. Like a tech version of a body guard, firewalls monitor and control traffic entering and leaving your environment, letting legitimate activity through while blocking suspicious activity or known threats.

• Prevent unauthorized access from outside your network environment.
• Enforce set rules about what types of traffic are allowed.
• Protect sensitive systems, especially those controlling connected OT environments in utilities or industrial settings.

2. Antivirus (AV)

Antivirus software has been a longstanding defense against malware, viruses, and common exploits, and it remains a fundamental tool in the cybersecurity toolbelt. While more advanced tech like Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is now critical (keep reading for more on EDR), AV is still necessary for detecting and blocking well-understood threats at scale.

• Provides a first line of defense against widespread malware.
• Stops most automated, commodity-level attacks before they cause damage.
• Helps meet compliance and is often required depending on your industry.

3. Log Management / Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

Prevention is critical in cybersecurity, but so is visibility.  Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platforms aggregate and manage activity logs from across your infrastructure, including from servers, applications, firewalls, and endpoints—and analyze it to make sense of it and report back what you need to know.

• Correlates activity across systems for effective and appropriate threat detection and response.
• Detects behavioral anomalies for greater threat visibility. 
• Provides the audit trails needed for investigations and compliance.

While SIEM is not required for compliance, it can help organizations meet the stringent requirements of certain regulations and mandates like HIPAA, GDPR, SOX, and PCI DSS. 

SIEM is regarded as a critical piece of an overall security posture because of the visibility it provides organizations – without it,  an attacker could move laterally across your system undetected and uninterrupted.

4. Patch Management

Even with the most comprehensive cybersecurity program, you will have vulnerabilities. However, a diligent patch management protocol can make those vulnerabilities far less significant or threatening. 

• Blocks known exploits before attackers can leverage them.
• Automates updates across operating systems and applications quickly and effectively.
• Significantly reduces the attack surface when paired with timely remediation.

Attackers know to seek out unpatched systems because it’s an easy way to exploit a known vulnerability. Timely and strategic patch management can make the difference between a breach and a blocked attack.

5. Identity and Access Management (IAM)

An organization’s people can be just as much of a potential threat as an unknown attacker. Unauthorized access, poor cybersecurity training, or disgruntled employees are all factors that can increase a business’s threat environment from within. 

Identity and Access Management (IAM) tools assign digital identities to control who has access to what on your network; you may not want Sylvester from marketing accessing the human resources applications – and if he’s doing so from a remote location, it creates even more risk.

IAM also enables multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single-sign-on (SSO) to ensure secure use of corporate network resources, and creates roles and permissions based on those digital identities to secure resources and prevent unauthorized activities on the network. 

• Controls access through strong authentication and authorization.
• Supports role-based and least privilege principles.
• Helps companies manage hybrid workforces and cloud resources.

6. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

With the rapid and continued evolution of ransomware and other attack tactics, traditional antivirus just won’t cut it. Plus, the addition of hybrid and remote work adds risk layers that antivirus simply cannot protect against. 

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) does exactly what it sounds like it does: provides advanced detection and response on endpoints like laptops, servers, or mobile devices.

• Detects suspicious activity that traditional AV might miss.
• Provides forensic detail and response tools to mitigate and address threats.
• Protects remote employees or those working outside the corporate network.