A threat-based approach to protecting sensitive assets

What we’re seeing in today’s landscape is that taking a threat-based approach is essential to effectively protect an organisation’s sensitive assets. It’s impossible to address all vulnerabilities all at once, and this strategy prioritises defences around the most critical resources with a risk-based security posture. Integrating threat intelligence, continuous threat exposure management (CTEM) and automated testing will ensure the protection of the most critical assets.

Challenges and considerations

While this approach is effective, implementing it can be complex and resource-intensive, and risks focusing too much on specific threats. It’s essential to balance the security strategy, ensuring broader security fundamentals aren’t neglected. This will avoid tunnel vision while keeping pace with the threat landscape. Adopting a threat-based approach to protecting sensitive assets ensures a focused, efficient, and effective cyber security strategy.

What is an asset?

An asset includes anything of value within an organisation that requires protection. This could include hardware, networks, and databases, as well as intellectual property, reputation, customer trust, and proprietary algorithms. Classifying these assets by their importance to business operations and data sensitivity allows for better-focused security measures. Safeguarding these assets is critical, as a security breach could lead to financial, operational, or reputational damage to an organisation.

Implementing a threat-based approach

Creating a well-defined process will ensure an effective strategy:

1. Conduct an asset inventory: identify all assets within the organisation, from tangible databases to intangible elements like reputation, then rank them based on their criticality to business operations and sensitivity of data.

Measuring the risks and threats to critical assets is a vital step that must come before implementing security controls. Without understanding what is truly at stake and the specific threats involved, security efforts can become unfocused, wasteful and create more unnecessary complexity.

2. Perform threat modelling: identify potential threats and attack vectors, considering both external and internal threats.
3. Integrate threat intelligence: tailor intelligence gathering to inform your threat models, focusing on specific assets and industry risks and continuously updating with new information.
4. Conduct risk assessments: assess the risk to each asset and evaluate the likelihood and impact of identified threats using quantitative methods to assign risk scores and guide resource allocation.
5. Develop targeted security controls: implement adaptable security measures tailored to protect against the highest-risk threats. Regularly refine controls based on evolving threats and assessment outcomes.
6. Implement continuous monitoring: use CTEM practices to continuously assess threat exposure and ensure security measures stay effective. Automated testing tools will validate the effectiveness of controls.
7. Prepare incident response plans: develop response plans based on identified threats, regularly testing and updating.
8. Promote a security-aware culture: educate employees about the specific threats and foster a proactive, security-conscious approach.

How can Softcat help?

Softcat offers a range of services to help organisations develop and strengthen their approach to risk-based remediation of threats:

Threat Exposure Management (TEM) Service - simulates cyber threats including network infiltration, endpoint, web application, email infiltration and data exfiltration. The simulations test defences and identify weaknesses, with analysts watching the response of your security controls. Actionable insights help strengthen your cyber security and improve areas of vulnerability.

Managed SOC and Orpheus Cyber SOC Fusion Service - provide 24/7 monitoring and incident response to detect and mitigate advanced cyber threats. Real-time threat intelligence and automated threat identification improve your security posture by accelerating incident response, reducing false positives and focusing on critical threats.

Managed Detection and Response Service (MDR) - delivers proactive threat detection, investigation and real-time response to security incidents using advanced tools and skilled analysts.

Intelligence Services - IT Asset Management (ITAM) enables visibility and allows complete control of all your IT assets and licences, whether on-premises or in the cloud.

Managed SIEM Service - collects, normalises and stores millions of logs from IT, cloud and SaaS environments, using threat intelligence for endpoint intrusion detection, user activity monitoring, event correlation and log management. Expert 24/7/365 support covers cloud, on-premises or hybrid deployments.

To find out more about Softcat’s Cyber Services, please speak to your Account Manager or Network and Security Specialist, or get in touch with our Sales team.