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Security controls are measures implemented to defend information systems from threats, reducing risk to acceptable levels. These controls include procedures, technologies, and practices aiming to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. They can be preventive, detective, or corrective, depending on the specific objectives and functions they perform in a security framework.
Security controls help organizations comply with regulations and standards, ensuring business continuity and safeguarding organizational assets. Properly implemented, these controls manage risk by preventing unauthorized access, data breaches, and other cyber threats. They form the backbone of an organization's approach to building a secure operational environment, laying the groundwork for monitoring and incident response strategies.
This is part of a series of articles about Exposure Management.
Security controls are crucial to defending against cyber threats, protecting an organization’s assets, and ensuring reliable, uninterrupted operations. By establishing well-implemented controls, organizations create a defense system that reduces vulnerabilities, manages risks, and aligns with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
Security controls play an important role in protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data, collectively known as the CIA triad. These controls restrict unauthorized access, monitor for security incidents, and provide mechanisms for recovery, safeguarding sensitive information and critical systems. This foundation is necessary for preventing data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage.
In addition to protection, security controls ensure regulatory compliance. Standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS mandate specific security practices that organizations must follow to handle sensitive data responsibly. Adherence to these standards through security controls helps avoid legal liabilities, fines, and operational disruptions due to non-compliance.
Physical controls are tangible protections implemented to safeguard hardware and facilities from unauthorized access or damage. These include barriers such as locks, fences, biometrics, surveillance systems, and guards. Their primary function is to prevent physical intrusion that could lead to data breaches or equipment theft. These controls are essential in controlling access to sensitive areas, ensuring that only authorized personnel can reach critical infrastructure components.
Physical controls play a role in disaster recovery planning by safeguarding backup systems and maintaining continuity during power outages or natural disasters. Environmental monitoring systems also fall under this category, protecting assets from temperature fluctuations, humidity, and other conditions that might compromise equipment integrity.
Technical controls use technology to protect information systems and networks from cyber threats. These include tools like firewalls, encryption, antivirus software, intrusion detection systems, and access controls. They automate the process of monitoring and responding to cyber threats, managing the vast volume of data and potential vulnerabilities. Technical controls are often the first line of defense in identifying and mitigating threats.
Technical controls adapt to new threats, often through regular updates and patches that address known vulnerabilities. This adaptability is crucial, especially in environments experiencing rapid technological changes or facing sophisticated cyber-attacks. Continual assessment and fine-tuning are necessary to maintain the efficacy of these technical measures.
Administrative controls involve policies, procedures, and practices that manage the security framework within an organization. These include security policies, training programs, access management, and risk assessments designed to guide personnel on best practices for data protection. Administrative controls set the organizational tone, influencing the security culture and ensuring compliance through structured oversight.
Administrative controls are critical for incident response planning and executing regular security audits. They establish roles and responsibilities, ensuring everyone understands their part in maintaining security. By emphasizing employee training and adherence to security policies, these controls reduce human error and improve the overall effectiveness of security measures.
Prevention controls deter security incidents before they occur. They include practices such as access management, strong authentication measures, and encryption techniques. Their main objective is to limit opportunities for unauthorized access, ensuring that sensitive information remains protected and inaccessible to malicious actors.
Regular security training for employees and implementing security policies strengthen these preventive measures, creating an informed workforce aware of potential risks. By continuously evaluating and updating preventive controls, organizations can stay ahead of emerging threats.
Detection controls identify and alert security teams to potential security incidents. These controls include surveillance systems, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and log analysis tools, all designed to monitor and flag suspicious activities. Their role is not to prevent incidents outright, but rather to ensure quick detection, enabling swift responses to minimize impacts.
By continuously monitoring network activities and examining system logs, detective controls provide valuable insights into security events. Regular audits and vulnerability assessments are also part of this process, helping identify weaknesses and potential points of exploitation in the network.
Corrective controls are measures taken to rectify and recover from security incidents or breaches. They focus on mitigating damage, restoring system integrity, and preventing recurrence. Corrective actions may include patching vulnerabilities, restoring data from backups, and implementing changes to security configurations. These controls are critical for minimizing the impact of an incident and ensuring business continuity.
Post-incident analysis is part of corrective controls, allowing organizations to understand incident root causes and strengthen their defenses. By learning from past incidents, organizations can improve their security posture and mitigate future risks.
Deterrent controls discourage malicious activities by making potential offenders aware of the negative consequences of their actions. This can be achieved through visible security measures like warning signs, surveillance cameras, and policies outlining the legal repercussions for breaches. The goal is to deter threats by creating the perception of a secure and monitored environment.
These controls work in conjunction with other security strategies, serving as an initial barrier to threats. By conveying the seriousness of security measures, they help decrease the likelihood of attempted breaches from both internal and external actors.
Compensating controls are alternative measures implemented when primary controls are impractical or insufficient. They provide a means to achieve security goals through different approaches, ensuring protection levels are maintained. These controls are often used when technical limitations or budget constraints prevent the implementation of preferred solutions.
Compensating controls require careful planning to ensure they offer equal protection as the intended primary controls. They often work in tandem with existing security measures, bolstering defenses and addressing gaps until the primary controls can be implemented.
Dima Potekhin, CTO and Co-Founder of CyCognito, is an expert in mass-scale data analysis and security. He is an autodidact who has been coding since the age of nine and holds four patents that include processes for large content delivery networks (CDNs) and internet-scale infrastructure.
In my experience, here are tips that can help you better implement and optimize security controls:
These strategies will help you maximize the effectiveness of your CTEM program, ensuring it remains agile and robust in the face of evolving cyber threats.
Download this report to learn about the historical trends behind the emergence of exposure management, how to develop a strategic plan and assemble a team to smoothly transition frameworks, and example tech stacks to consider for your organization.
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework provides a structured approach to managing cybersecurity risks. It includes guidelines and best practices focusing on identifying, protecting, detecting, responding to, and recovering from cyber threats. This framework helps organizations of all sizes improve their cybersecurity defenses and manage risk more effectively.
The framework's flexible structure allows organizations to align cybersecurity efforts with business objectives, ensuring that resources are used efficiently. By offering an adaptable security model, the NIST framework supports continuous improvement, guiding organizations in implementing effective and up-to-date security measures.
ISO/IEC 27001 is an international standard providing requirements for an information security management system (ISMS). It outlines security best practices for managing information security. Organizations can achieve certification to demonstrate their commitment to data protection and compliance with recognized security standards.
The standard emphasizes continuous improvement, risk assessment, and the establishment of appropriate controls to safeguard information. ISO/IEC 27001 supports a structured approach to managing sensitive data, ensuring that security measures evolve with changing threats.
CIS Critical Security Controls are a set of recommended actions for cyber defense. These controls guide organizations in implementing security strategies that mitigate known cyber threats. Developed by cybersecurity experts, they focus on best practices that deliver protection against evolving threats.
Implementing these controls helps organizations prioritize actions that have the greatest impact on improving cyber defenses. By following the CIS framework, organizations can enhance their security posture and ensure consistent application of controls.
COBIT is a framework developed by ISACA to guide organizations in the governance and management of enterprise IT. It provides a structured approach to aligning IT strategy with business objectives, focusing on areas such as risk management, information security, and compliance. By following COBIT, organizations can establish controls that support both the effectiveness and efficiency of IT operations.
COBIT’s framework defines specific control objectives across five domains: governance, planning, acquisition, delivery, and monitoring. Each objective includes best practices and guidelines for setting up security controls that protect information and ensure regulatory compliance. By integrating COBIT, organizations can improve accountability, enhance risk management, and optimize resource use.
SOC 2 is a framework developed by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) to ensure effective management of data security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy in service organizations. It is particularly relevant for businesses that handle sensitive customer data, providing a standard for assessing and reporting on the effectiveness of internal controls.
The SOC 2 framework includes a set of trust service criteria that guide the implementation of security practices around data protection. Organizations can undergo a SOC 2 audit to validate compliance, which can demonstrate their commitment to data security to clients and stakeholders. SOC 2 reports are often used to assure customers that security practices meet industry standards.
The NIS 2 Directive, adopted by the European Union, aims to enhance cybersecurity across key sectors within member states by setting stronger cybersecurity requirements and standardizing security practices. This directive extends the scope of the original NIS Directive to include a broader range of industries, including healthcare, financial services, and digital infrastructure providers.
NIS 2 focuses on improving the resilience of critical infrastructure against cyber threats through robust risk management, reporting obligations, and incident response strategies. It emphasizes cooperation between member states and mandates that organizations implement both technical and organizational controls to mitigate cyber risks. By aligning with NIS 2, organizations within the EU can improve their ability to detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats, fostering a more secure digital ecosystem across member nations.
DORA is a regulation developed by the European Union that focuses specifically on the financial sector's resilience to cyber threats and operational risks. DORA mandates that financial institutions, including banks, investment firms, and payment service providers, establish comprehensive strategies to ensure operational resilience against ICT (Information and Communications Technology) risks.
Under DORA, financial entities are required to conduct risk assessments, implement controls for risk mitigation, and establish incident reporting mechanisms. The regulation also emphasizes the need for testing digital resilience through regular simulations and audits. DORA’s provisions aim to protect the stability of the financial sector by ensuring that organizations can continue operations even in the face of severe cyber incidents. Compliance with DORA helps financial entities strengthen their defenses, minimize downtime, and maintain customer trust in the event of a cyber disruption.
PCI-DSS is a security standard created to protect cardholder data and reduce credit card fraud risks for organizations handling card transactions. The standard outlines specific technical and operational requirements, such as implementing firewalls, encryption, and access controls, that ensure secure payment processing environments. Organizations are required to comply with PCI-DSS to safeguard customer data and avoid penalties from non-compliance.
PCI-DSS is structured around twelve main requirements, divided into six control objectives, which focus on securing cardholder data, maintaining a secure network, and regularly monitoring security measures. Compliance with PCI-DSS helps organizations minimize vulnerabilities in their payment systems, ensuring that customer payment information is protected from unauthorized access and breaches.
Related content: Read our guide to Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM)
Regular updates and patch management are essential for maintaining effective security controls. This practice involves timely application of software patches and updates to fix vulnerabilities, ensuring systems remain protected against exploits. Regular updates prevent attackers from leveraging known weaknesses in outdated software.
By systematically managing patches, organizations can reduce the risk of exploitation and ensure compliance with security standards. Effective patch management involves prioritizing critical updates, testing patches to ensure compatibility, and scheduling deployments to minimize downtime.
Automating security policies helps organizations maintain consistent security configurations across systems, minimizing the risk of configuration drift—a scenario where systems deviate from their secure baseline configurations over time. This drift can lead to vulnerabilities that expose systems to unauthorized access or exploitation.
Automation tools, such as configuration management systems and security policy enforcement solutions, can apply standardized configurations across devices and environments. Automated policy checks help detect deviations promptly, ensuring that configurations align with security standards. By automating policy enforcement, organizations reduce the likelihood of human error, ensure policy consistency, and improve the efficiency of their security management practices.
Employee training and awareness programs are crucial in cultivating a security-conscious culture. Regular training ensures that employees understand the latest phishing techniques, social engineering tactics, and security policies. This knowledge empowers them to act as the first line of defense against cyber threats.
These programs emphasize the importance of adhering to security practices, such as password management and recognizing suspicious activities. By fostering a sense of responsibility and encouraging active participation, organizations can reduce human error and significantly strengthen their overall security posture.
Strong access control policies are vital in ensuring that only authorized individuals have access to sensitive information. This involves implementing stringent authentication measures, assigning proper access privileges, and regularly reviewing access permissions to prevent unauthorized data exposure.
Access control policies should be integrated into security frameworks, guiding user permissions, and ensuring compliance with data protection standards. By enforcing the principle of least privilege, organizations can limit access to essential personnel, minimizing potential avenues for unauthorized access and breaches.
Incident response planning prepares organizations to effectively manage and mitigate security incidents. A comprehensive incident response plan outlines procedures for identifying, assessing, and responding to cyber threats. Quick, coordinated responses can limit damage and restore normal operations, minimizing the impact of incidents.
Regular drills and updates to the incident response plan ensure preparedness and adaptability to new threats. A robust plan fosters readiness, enabling organizations to manage security breaches swiftly and effectively.
Continuous monitoring and improvement are essential for maintaining robust security postures. This involves persistent surveillance of systems and networks to detect and respond to security events promptly. Regular analysis of security controls supports the identification of areas for enhancement, ensuring measures remain effective against emerging threats.
By adopting a proactive approach, organizations can preemptively address vulnerabilities, adapt security strategies, and ensure compliance with evolving standards. Continuous improvement fosters resilience, enabling organizations to stay ahead of adversaries and effectively protect their information assets over the long term.
Attack Surface Management (ASM) involves continuously identifying, monitoring, and reducing the potential points of exposure where an attacker could gain unauthorized access to an organization’s systems. By mapping out all internet-facing assets, including servers, APIs, and cloud services, ASM helps organizations understand their full attack surface. This process includes assessing known and unknown assets, monitoring for changes, and prioritizing remediation based on risk.
Incorporating ASM into a security strategy allows for proactive risk management. By continuously scanning for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and exposed services, organizations can swiftly identify and address weaknesses before they are exploited. Regular reviews of the attack surface help ensure new assets are detected and secured, aligning security efforts with dynamic changes in the IT environment. This ongoing visibility into the attack surface is essential for minimizing risk, enhancing security controls, and maintaining compliance with industry standards.
Passing an audit is a challenge from start to finish. Day-to-day activities are often put on the back burner, and stress levels rise as your teams scramble to gather information in preparation.
CyCognito maps discovered issues with top security frameworks and compliance standards, providing specific guidance for each violation as it relates to your objective. Automated evidence collection and continuous monitoring enable you to get ready for audit or prove attestation in minimal time. The result: faster audit times and lower stress levels for your teams.
Organizations often learn of compliance issues during an audit, making it a challenge to respond effectively. Integrating CyCognito within your asset inventory and security testing workflow enables an early response and higher confidence.
You want your IT security teams aware of the most important issues that impact an audit. CyCognito provides your GRC teams with a continuously updated list of top issues and remediation steps to ensure issues can be resolved promptly.
Manual investigation and validation slow remediation efforts. CyCognito’s dynamic list of all issues is prioritized based on business risk. Remediation instructions are included to simplify the workflow.
CyCognito takes a standards approach that can be leveraged across hundreds of privacy and other regulations, for example, NIS 2 and HIPAA.
Learn more about how CyCognito supports security controls and compliance.
Download this report to learn about the historical trends behind the emergence of exposure management, how to develop a strategic plan and assemble a team to smoothly transition frameworks, and example tech stacks to consider for your organization.
CyCognito solves one of the most fundamental business problems in cybersecurity: seeing how attackers view your organization, where they are most likely to break in, what systems and assets are at risk and how you can eliminate the exposure.
Founded by national intelligence agency veterans, CyCognito has a deep understanding of how attackers exploit blind spots and a path of least resistance. Based in Palo Alto, CyCognito serves a number of large enterprises and Fortune 500 organizations, including Colgate-Palmolive, Tesco and many others.
For more information, follow us on Twitter @cycognito.
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