What Is Cybersecurity Monitoring & Why Do You Need It?

Cybersecurity monitoring refers to the practice of continuously observing an organization's computer systems, networks, and digital assets in order to detect, identify, and respond quickly to potential security threats. This can involve tracking any unauthorized attempts at access or malware infections that threaten data breach as well as any security incidents that arise within them.

Cybersecurity monitoring is an essential element of effective business. It allows organizations to quickly detect and respond swiftly to potential security threats as soon as they arise, mitigating their impact. Penetration tests allow organizations to quickly identify vulnerabilities before cybercriminals exploit them; additionally, as part of regulatory requirements or industry standards such as PCI DSS or HIPAA organizations must implement continuous monitoring programs to ensure compliance - safeguarding both reputation and business continuity by upholding data confidentiality and integrity.

This article will introduce what cybersecurity monitoring is, why it is necessary for businesses, the challenges involved and steps towards effective monitoring. It will also discuss how Guardian Digital’s expert, ongoing cybersecurity monitoring enhances its clients' email security to defend against attacks and data breach.

What Is Cybersecurity Monitoring & Why Is It Critically Important for Your Business?

Security monitoring's primary goal is to detect and respond quickly to security threats before they cause significant harm to an organization's operations, reputation or finances. Successful cybersecurity monitoring typically employs both automated tools and human expertise in quickly detecting and responding to security incidents quickly - such as data collection and analysis; threat detection, incident response planning and continuous system improvements on security systems.

Cyberattacks have become an increasing source of worry among businesses, as their increasing frequency and complexity threaten to cause severe financial losses, reputational harm and legal liabilities. Here are a few key reasons why cybersecurity monitoring should be implemented at work:

Helps Minimize Data Breaches

By monitoring network and system activity, businesses can identify suspicious behavior and take action to prevent a breach. Additionally, regular security monitoring can help businesses identify vulnerabilities and implement security controls to mitigate the risk of a breach.

Enables Businesses to Respond to Attacks Faster

Businesses must understand the potential threats and risks they are exposed to so they can prepare accordingly. Aiming for greater understanding by learning where attacks originate and the frequency with which similar incidents take place provides companies with better insight into their vulnerabilities and helps prevent future attacks from taking place.

Mitigates Security Vulnerabilities

Businesses can mitigate the risk of a data breach by detecting vulnerabilities early on and taking action to fix them. Companies can use cybersecurity monitoring to identify patterns of behavior that indicate potential vulnerabilities. This enables them to proactively address security risks before they can be exploited.

Ensures Compliance with Standards & Regulations

Cybersecurity monitoring helps businesses comply with standards and regulations by helping them identify and address potential security risks. Monitoring security data can help businesses demonstrate compliance with regulations such as HIPAA and PCI DSS. By identifying vulnerabilities or gaps in their compliance programs, organizations can then take action to fix them.

Reduces Downtime

Monitoring network and system activity can greatly minimize a business’s downtime by helping them detect and respond to security incidents quickly. By tracking network trends and spotting unusual activity, cybersecurity monitoring can help businesses identify the root cause of system disruptions and prevent future ones.

Improves Employee Productivity

By implementing security controls and monitoring network and system activity, businesses can prevent security incidents that can disrupt employee productivity. In addition, cybersecurity monitoring can help identify and address IT issues that slow down employee productivity such as a slowdown of the network or system crashes.

Steps to Effective Cybersecurity Monitoring

Download

With the rising frequency and sophistication of cyber threats, it is becoming increasingly essential to implement a robust monitoring strategy. Consistent surveillance helps detect any potential threats quickly so as to reduce the risk of data breach or security incident:

SIEM Tools & Software Solutions

SIEM solutions collect and analyze security event data from various sources to detect and respond to security incidents in real-time. By using advanced analytics and Machine Learning algorithms, SIEM solutions can identify patterns of behavior and detect anomalies that may indicate a security threat. They can also help businesses comply with regulatory requirements by providing centralized logging and reporting capabilities.

Trained Experts 

Cybersecurity experts have the training and experience needed to understand emerging threats, analyze security data, and identify weaknesses in a system. They contribute to the development and implementation of effective security policies by providing guidance on how to choose and implement various tools and technologies. They also know how to respond to security incidents quickly and effectively, minimizing the impact of a breach and reducing downtime. 

Trained Employees

Companies can benefit greatly by providing regular cybersecurity awareness programs, which educate their employees on the latest threats to cybersecurity and how best to identify and respond. Trained employees can detect suspicious activity such as phishing emails or attempted access attempts and report it immediately - helping prevent security incidents before they happen. They also help organizations enforce security policies and procedures such as password management and data handling that decrease human error that could cause security breaches.

Managed Services

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are like superheroes for businesses. They give you access to specialized expertise and resources that might be too expensive or impractical to have in-house, like cutting-edge security technologies and tools.

But that's not all! MSPs also have your back 24/7 with monitoring and support. They help you detect security incidents in a flash and stay on top of emerging threats and trends, ensuring your security posture stays efficient and robust.

Common Cybersecurity Monitoring Challenges

As cybersecurity threats increase, businesses face increasing pressure to implement effective security monitoring strategies that safeguard sensitive data and infrastructure. From managing multiple security tools effectively to detecting advanced threats quickly, businesses must overcome multiple obstacles for their monitoring efforts to be effective. Below are among the most frequently experienced challenges associated with monitoring cyber risks:

Identifying Critical Assets

Identification of assets within an organization can be an extremely complex endeavor. Large and complex companies often contain many systems and data. Over time, their critical assets may change as their business evolves, as different stakeholders often hold divergent opinions regarding which items constitute critical assets. It can often be hard for an organization to reach a consensus on this matter.

Keeping an Eye on Endpoint Activity

Endpoints such as laptops and desktops are the target of cybercrime, making them prime targets. Monitoring endpoint activity in modern business environments can be challenging due to the sheer volume of endpoints present and their complex software and applications running. Endpoints located outside an organization's network with different software can further make control more challenging. Furthermore, monitoring needs to balance security with employee privacy; excessive monitoring could make employees uncomfortable.

Choosing the Correct Tools 

Businesses must find an appropriate balance between cost and effectiveness when selecting tools for use in their operations. Some of the more advanced and comprehensive tools may be cost prohibitive for smaller firms with tight budgets. Less expensive tools may not offer the same level of protection or functionality, leaving businesses exposed. Furthermore, different tools may use different data formats or protocols which make consolidating and analyzing data difficult. As previously mentioned, certain tools may not be compatible with existing systems, requiring extra resources for implementation and ongoing support. Furthermore, keeping pace with technological progress can present another difficulty when selecting suitable tools; cyber threats are continuously emerging while new tools and technologies are continually being developed to counter them.

Enhance Email Security with Guardian Digital Cybersecurity Monitoring

We acknowledge that for the majority of businesses, especially small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), making the most of limited cybersecurity resources is a major challenge. Your IT staff already faces great pressure, and cybersecurity monitoring may have been put on the back burner as a result

Given that over 90% of modern cyberattacks begin with an email, monitoring your email infrastructure for suspicious activity and potential threats is of critical importance in preventing damaging attacks and breaches. Guardian Digital’s fully-managed email security solution, EnGarde Cloud Email Security, includes expert, ongoing cybersecurity monitoring. Our experienced security experts become an indispensable extension of your IT team, working closely with you to understand your security requirements, identify individuals who could potentially become targets in an attack and carefully monitor them for threats - which leads to improved security, increased productivity and rapid return on investment (ROI) for our clients.

Learn More About Cybersecurity Monitoring and Related Topics

Effective cybersecurity involves the continuous monitoring of network activity, endpoint activity, and critical assets to detect and respond to security threats quickly and effectively. Cybersecurity monitoring poses many challenges for businesses that must balance security needs with employee privacy concerns, identify critical assets, choose the right tools and stay updated on new threats. Therefore, it is essential for businesses to work with trained cybersecurity experts and consider managed services to ensure that their monitoring strategy is effective and up-to-date. A solid cybersecurity monitoring strategy can help you minimize the risks of being targeted by cybercriminals, safeguard important assets, and maintain customer and stakeholder confidence.

• Learn about the benefits of outsourcing email security.
• Learn how to choose the right email security service for your organization.
• Learn how to improve your email security posture to defend against attacks and breaches by engaging in best practices.
• Get the latest updates on how to stay safe online.