Think like a hack to spot loopholes in security

Computer security, specifically, is the protection of data in the system against unauthorized disclosure, modification, or destruction and protection of the computer system as a whole, against unauthorized use and modifications. The need for protecting our information from malicious disruptions or misuse is important. 

Organisations transmit sensitive data across networks and to other devices in the course of carrying out their regular businesses. Similarly, data is transferred across government agencies and other large organizational units. 

Security breach is a reality and organisations need to address this issue as priority. We need to understand the reason for security breach, the ways of protecting the data and the systems, from miscreants and hackers. Security holes are created due to configuration errors, failure to fix vulnerabilities in legacy systems, misconfigured settings, violations of standard procedures, and lack of adherence to best practices. 

International sites like National Vulnerability Database list risks, and also gives suggestions on handling these issues. The emergence of Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) and worms which are built to exploit the capabilities of APT has transposed the security arena, leading to high demand for security professionals. 

Numerous initiatives and best practices have been triggered by enterprises and standards setting organizations across the world. Apart from physical security, firms are implementing security best practices to safeguard and protect information assets. 

Information security management is an emerging standard which has gained good mileage across the globe. Most firms implement Information Security Management System (ISMS) within their organizational framework as a practice for providing assurance to their stake holders. 

However, the number of trained resources to deploy and manage security systems are alarmingly low, which leads to sustained security breaches. Various organizations worldwide are realizing this drastic knowledge gap and have triggered emergency measures in terms of specialized training initiatives to upskill their work horses. 

The key is not just about deploying the security tools and generating reports, but about understanding the capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses of cyber security tools which are plaguing the security market. It is also about cyber security mind set which involves thinking like an intruder to identify the loopholes involving organisational cyber security. 

The challenge in cyber security is the ever-evolving nature of security risks. The standards bodies, training bodies, and professional associations in the field of cyber security are shouldering the responsibilities of creating the next generation of skilled workforce.