Which type of control identifies a security risk that might be present in a policy?

Mitigating Risk With Information Security Controls

Information security controls are the building blocks of cybersecurity and risk management. Designed to block threats and minimize risk, information security controls may be any policies, techniques, solutions, technologies, or actions that can protect an organization’s information from the threat of breach or compromise.

The challenge when deploying information security controls is determining which controls will be most effective at protecting the organization and its data. Security teams must have clear visibility of the assets to be protected, the threats and risks facing the organization, and how well existing cybersecurity controls have performed. Yet, with a constantly expanding attack surface that now encompasses cloud and remote environments, it’s increasingly difficult for security teams to achieve this visibility.

BitSight for Security Performance Management delivers the clarity that security and risk leaders need to identify risk throughout the digital ecosystem and select the information security controls that will best serve to mitigate it. BitSight also enables security leaders to continuously monitor the performance of information security controls set in place, and to identify the investments and actions that will yield the highest measurable impact over time.

Types Of Information Security Controls

Information security controls fall into three categories.

• Preventive controls are intended to help prevent cybersecurity incidents.
• Detective controls are designed to recognize attacks while they are in progress and provide alerts to security teams.
• Corrective controls come into play after a security incident and are intended to help minimize damage from an attack or to restore business systems.

There are variety of information security controls within each category. Some controls are technical – for example, deploying antivirus software, configuring firewalls, patching vulnerabilities, or requiring multi-factor authentication. Administrative controls include establishing cybersecurity policy, conducting security awareness education, or developing incident response plans. Physical controls may include things like video surveillance, locks on server cabinets, and ID cards required to gain physical access to a property.

In a successful security program, information security controls must be aligned with type and severity of risk present in the organization’s attack surface. To implement the most effective controls, security teams need insight into the areas of highest risk and how well existing controls have performed to mitigate that risk. That’s where BitSight can help.

BitSight For Security Performance Management

BitSight for Security Performance Management provides security and risk leaders with tools to continuously monitor, measure, and communicate the efficacy of the information security controls they have chosen to secure valuable assets from risk in their digital ecosystem.

Using BitSight Security Ratings, security professionals can efficiently allocate their limited resources to build out and support the most effective controls and protect the most critical areas from cyber risk. BitSight combines broad measurement, continuous monitoring, and detailed planning and forecasting to better assess and manage the performance of cybersecurity programs and information security controls.

BitSight for Security Performance Management comprises a suite of solutions that include:

• Attack Surface Analytics that deliver greater visibility to assess risk exposure throughout a digital ecosystem.
• Executive Reporting that helps security leaders effectively communicate key metrics and answers critical cybersecurity questions for senior leadership and board members.
• Benchmarking capabilities that establish baseline metrics, measure performance against industry peers, and enables actionable cybersecurity forensics.
• Internal Assessments that reveal how an organization’s security posture is viewed by others.
• Peer Analytics that provide an in-depth analysis of how an organization’s security performance compares to a meaningful set of peers.
• Forecasting capabilities that project future security ratings based on a given course of action.
• NIST & ISO Framework Mapping that maps an organization’s results to industry-standard cybersecurity frameworks.

Benefits of BitSight’s Suite of Solutions

With BitSight for Security Performance Management, organizations can:

• Gain visibility into cyber risk across all digital assets on premises, in the cloud, in remote/home offices, and across geographies and subsidiaries.
• Identify gaps in information security controls and cybersecurity programs.
• Prioritize remediation efforts and security initiatives based on cybersecurity and cloud security metrics that highlight levels of risk, instead of trying to tackle every little risk at once.
• Quantify the effectiveness and impact of investments in security programs to help company decision makers make meaningful, quick decisions.
• Make informed choices surrounding the effectiveness of security controls, tools, technologies, and people.

Why Manage Security Performance With BitSight?

Founded in 2011, BitSight has become the world’s leading Security Ratings Service by providing ratings that help organizations make faster, more strategic decisions about risk management and cybersecurity policy. Based on objective, verifiable cybersecurity data, BitSight Security Ratings provide a dynamic measurement of the security posture of an organization and its vendors. By continuously monitoring large sets of cybersecurity data, BitSight generates daily security ratings for hundreds of thousands of companies worldwide.

BitSight’s 2,100+ customers include 20% of the world’s countries and 25% of Fortune 500 companies. BitSight is also the choice of 4 of the top 5 investment banks, all 4 of the Big 4 accounting firms, and 7 of the top 10 largest cyber insurers.

FAQs: What Are Information Security Controls?

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