A Guide to Cyber Security Plan [Elements, Templates, Benefits] (2024)

A cyber security plan agrees on the security policies, procedures, and controls required to protect an organization against threats, risks, and vulnerabilities. A cyber security plan can also outline the precise steps to take to respond to a breach. A cyber security plan sets the typicalactions for activities such as the encryption of email attachments and restrictions on the use of social media. The organization should deploy a standard action plan for cyber security to safeguard theOrganizationfrom potentialcyber-attacksand databreaches.A cybersecurity plan essentially includesaplan and action to deter variouscyberattacksand a detailed data breach management plan.

What is a Cyber Security Plan?

A cyber security plan is a written document comprising information about an Organization's security policies, procedures, and remediation plan concerning countermeasures. This plan aims to ensure the integrity of operations and the security of the Organization's critical assets.

It's a vital tool to protect customers, employees, and corporate confidential information. By defining the current and future state of your cybersecurity space, cybersecurity best practices are being provided as a plan for the Organization. A cybersecurity plan also empowers the Information Technology team to communicate effectively with respect to the cybersecurity structure and operations. Professional earned hacking can help organizations to create effective cybersecurity plans.

Why is Cyber Security Plan/Strategy Important?

There are three (3) reasons why cyber security plans areimportant:

1. Cyber attacks are the new normal for organizations. Usually, industry-concentrated reports may focus more on bigger corporations. However, small businesses are the new target for cybercriminals. When a breach occurs in any Organization, disruptions may take a new high if there is no proper cyber security plan. If an incident response plan is incorporated into the cyber resilience strategy, damage can be reduced drastically. Hence, the earlier it detects, the easier it is to deal with and secure the data.
2. A quick response tocyber-boundthreatswill protecttheOrganization'sIntegrityand safeguard critical information ofemployees, customers, andstakeholders. Forinstance,if a criticalasset (Laptop) of anOrganizationcontaining sensitive data is lost,aremote wipe can be possiblefrom the host,which will protect theorganization'svaluable assets.Acybersecurity planwill encompass all necessary proceduresandcountermeasuresdesirableagainstany cyberthreat.
3. A cyber security plan that contains measures against information technology breaches could help to prevent cyber attacks. Cyber security does not begin after an attack occurs. It's an ongoing process that requires consistent maintenance and monitoring. It is a proactive and preventive approach rather than a detective. A cyber attack prevention plan is a subset of a cyber security plan and is intended to help the Organization from cyber attacks.

Objectives of Cyber Security Planning

Most business operations run on the internet, revealing their data and resources to various cyber threats. Since the data and system resources are the pillars upon which the Organization operates, it goes without saying that a threat to these entities is indeed a threat to the Organization itself.

A threat can be anywhere from a minor bug in a code to a complex system hijacking liability through various network and system penetration. Risk assessment and estimation of the cost of reconstruction help the Organization to stay prepared and to look ahead for potential losses. Thus, knowing and formulating a plan of cyber security precise to every Organization is crucial in protecting critical and valuable assets. Hence, professionals trained inEthical Hackingcertificationcoursesare hired by Organizations for Incident Response roles.

Cyber security aimsto ensure a risk-free and secureenvironment for keeping the data,network, and devices securedagainst cyber threats.

Benefits of a Cybersecurity Plan

Small, medium and large organizations are prime targets, and they need to be prepared to eliminatecyber security threats. Awidespread cyber security plan has become the most important factor for every business, or theorganizationwill beat greaterriskcomparedto anorganizationwitha cybersecuritybusinessplancan helpreducerisksto a greatextent.Thebenefitsofacyber securityplan arelisted down:

1. Better Understanding of Risks

Organizations have extensively used cloud computing technology, mobile devices, the Internet of Things (IoT), Smart Wearables, and so on. This has led to substantial exposure to cyber-attacks and threats. Hence, Organization needs to be more calculated in safeguarding themselves than ever. A cybersecurity plan will helporganizationsunderstandthe current ITenvironment, allowingthemto make thenecessary amendments to secure it.

2. Enabling Proactive Protection

One of the main reasonsthatorganizationsbecomefall preytocybercrime is their reactive approach. It is important todefend againstcyber-attacksand acyber-attackprevention planand take proactive measures towardsstrengtheningcyber security posture.The organizationshould always be prepared for worst-case scenarios. A fundamentally strong cyber security plancan be put in place,which comprisesvulnerability analysis and penetration testing, security vulnerability scans, business continuity, and disaster recovery, and managedsecurityservices as a proactive approach.

3. Respond Promptly

Noorganizationis entirely secure,evenwith the strongest securitysolutions. Some attacks canbreach the strongest defenses,andmanyorganizationshave witnessed that.Thatis why having a cyber security plan can be helpful.Creatingthis plan means knowingexactlywhat steps to take in theeventofacyber-attackand comprising thepossible could take place.Acyber-attackpreventionplanalsohelpseachemployeein theEnterprisewill knowtheirdiscrete role in howthey should reacttothe catastrophe.

4. Necessary Compliance Requirements

In this highly regulated industry,relevant compliance standards and regulationsare necessary to comply. Some of these areGDPR (General Data Protection Regulation),PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry DataSecurityStandards),HIPAA(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), and so on. Failure todothe samecan lead toheftypenalties, lowered profits,andreputational risk.A cyber security planguarantees utmost compliance and empowersthe Enterpriseto monitor all the best practiceswhile consistentlymeeting industry principles and protocols.

5. Prevent Insider Threats

Cyber security strategy and planwidenthe horizon inhelpingorganizationsbyrepudiating insider threats by implementing a moreorganized approach to security.In another way, it is creating animpactto make cyber security apart of theorganizational culture. Employees are currently makingcyber security a top prioritybyengaging themselves in awarenessand training sessions;hence, there is a declining trendforinsider threats. In short,a cyber security planisanatural preventive against insider threats.

Elements of an Effective Cybersecurity Plan

Cyber security presents severalobstacles toorganizationstoday, and it can beproblematicfor enterprisesto keep up with thesurgein cyber threats. Although it isessentialto use technology to provideanautomatedlayeredsecurityapproach,simplyusing technology is not enough. An organization mustincorporate protection into itsorganizational culture to protect itself against the current threat.Aneffectivecybersecurity plan would allow every part of an enterprise,from its processestotechnologies, toestablish a robust cybersecurityenvironment.To createan operativecyber securitystrategy, certain keyelements are necessary to obtain. Theseare:

1. Working Within a Framework

The approach towards cyber defense must be custom-made to the types of data security and the circ*mstances involved within its architecture. The agenda is an obvious component of cyber security risk management. It includes governance for a 3P structure, which is essentially people, processes, and technology within the company. The scope should cover all working procedures, people inside and outside the Enterprise, including third-party vendors, and devices attached to the corporate network.

2. Awareness with respect to Threat Intelligence

The more proactive decisions can be made during a cyber-attack, the better off the Enterprise can be. Firstly, a cyber-attack prevention plan is essential to know the procedures and techniques as a guide by predetermined indicators. Threat intelligence provides these metrics, background, and actionable insights into current and emerging risks to corporate assets. The expertise provided here is evidence-based, offering the keys to informed decision-making when a cyber incident starts. Vulnerabilities such as shared administrative keys, unpatched applications, operating systems, network configurations, or business operations and processes provide a context for the threat. EffectiveCyber Securitycertificationsonlineprograms can also help employees upgrade and upskill their knowledge concerning Threat Intelligence.

3. Basics of CyberSecurity

Partof thecyber security planning guideprocessincludescircumventing issues in the first place.Basic security systems should run in top form toachieve thisgoalorimprovethechancesof never havingadisastrousbreach.Securityproceduresare also required to befully implemented. These includethe following:

• Firewalls.
• Systems for Intrusion Detection (IDS / IPS)
• Security Incident and Event ManagementSystems (SIEM)
• Spam Filter/Anti-Phishing.
• Identity and Access Management,includingPrivilegedAccess Management for Administrativeroles.
• Strong passwords
• Multi-Factor Authentication
• Device and Data Encryption
• Bring Your Device (BYOD) Policy

4. Collaborating with Internal Stakeholders

In the event of cybersecurity breaches,all employees belonging to IT, Sales, HR, Marketing, and Finance of theOrganizationshould be ready at the time of announcement. Everyone should have a predetermined role to play in responding to an incident.The cyber security plan should includecollaborationwith internalstakeholdersasan essential and definitive actionplan.

5. Comprehensive Risk Assessment

Themost prevalent threat modelisbased on identified risks, their likelihood of occurrence, andthedamage they could have done.Risk assessmentfine-tunesthecybersecurity responseandhelps prevent attacks. It is an essential element forthepervasive cybersecurity maturity model.

6. Incident Response Planning

Cyber security risks are growing day by day. That is why it is necessary to be proactive about incidents and responses. The plan for incident response plans should be layered and preemptive. Visibility is another critical factor in the event of an incident. It is best to see who has access to the network and systems and at what time to gather as much information as possible.

7. Data Support and Operations

Data support and operations include the measurestheOrganizationwill implement for handling each level of classified data. These are the three primary categories of data support operations:

1. Data protection regulations: Organizations must set standardsto protect personally identifiable information and other sensitive data. The standards with respect to data protection regulation should follow an appropriate compliance standard along with local or country-specific regulations. Most cyber security standards and compliance regulations require data privacy standards, network, and firewall security components, and vulnerability management protection.
2. Data backup requirements:Organizationwill also need to generate secure data backups. The backup should be encrypted to store the media securely. Storing your backup data securely in the cloud is a highly secure option.
3. Movement of data:An organization should ensure data security whenever it moves its data. Transfer of data should be done through secure protocols.

8. Roles and Responsibilities

Thecomponentofthecybersecurity plan should outlinethe employee rights, responsibilities,and dutiesregardingdata protection.Provideresponsibility to the employeesby nominatingemployees within internal control functions toperformaccess reviews, educate other staff members, oversee changemanagement protocols, pick up and review incidents, andprovidegeneral oversight and implementation support forthe cyber security policy.

How to Create an Effective Cyber Security Plan [Step-by-Step]

There are 8leansteps to planninganoperativecyber securityplan, includingConducting aSecurityRiskAssessment,Evaluating Systems, Applicationsand Tools,selectinga Security Framework, Reviewing Security Policies,creatinga Risk ManagementPlan, ImplementingSecurityStrategy, andEvaluatingtheSecurityStrategy.

Step 1: Conduct a Security Risk Assessment

A CyberSecurity Risk Assessment requires anorganizationto determine its key business objectives andrecognizethe Information Technology assetsessential to those objectives. It isthen a case ofclassifyingcyber-attacksthat couldadversely affect thoseassets. Cyber Security Risk Assessmentwithinacyber-attackprevention planalsoanalyzesthe likelihood of those attacks occurringandtheir impact.

The assessment includes the following critical areas evaluated and documented accordingly:

• Identification of Assets:A list of physical and logical assets within the risk assessment scope should be created. This list will help to preview the asset repository and help to diagnose critical issues during a major incident
• Identify Threats:Threats are the tactics, techniques, and approaches used by threat actors that have the potential to cause harm to the assets of the Organization. To help identify potential threats for each asset, a threat library (MITRE ATTACK Knowledge Base) needs to be implemented, as this will help determine the types of protection.
• Classification of Data:A data classification is important for risk assessment which essentially separates between sensitive and non-sensitive information. Data can be classified into:
  • Public
  • Private
  • Confidential
  • Restricted
  • Internal Use Only
  • Intellectual Property
• Risk Prioritization:Prioritization of Risk indicates an assessment of the landscape of Enterprise Risk posture. A Business Impact Analysis (BIA) was conducted to identify the critical systems and data to be performed and leverage the result for risk prioritization. A risk register was created and maintained for all assets tagged as the highest risk

Step 2: Set Your Security Goals

TheobjectiveofCyber Security is to safeguard information fromtheft, compromised or attacked. Cyber securitybusiness plan can be measured by at least one of three goals

• Protect the Confidentiality of data (Confidentiality) - Keeping the sensitive data private and accessible to only authorized users
• Preserve theIntegrityofdata(Integrity)
• Promote the Availability of data for authorized users (Availability)

The CIA triad is a security model that isdesigned to guide policies for Information Security within the premises of anorganization.Every Information Security Strategy Plan should include a detailed model and guiding principle derived fromCIATriad.The following steps will help to createcyber security goals:

• Categorizing the assets based on their importance and priority.
• Restrainingthepotential threats.
• Determining the method ofeach threat
• Monitoring any breaching activities and managing data at rest and data in motion.
• Iterative maintenance and responding to any issues involved.
• Updating policies to handleriskbased on the previousassessments

Step 3: Evaluate Your Technology

Cybersecurityistechnology-centricand always dependsuponthecoresystems of an Enterprise. Whilethe assetsaretobe segregatedas per their criticality towards businesswithintheriskregister, it isalso importantto understandand evaluatethe technologylandscape forproactivemitigationof risk.Once thecriticalassetsareidentifiedand segregated,it isessential to determine thefunctionsevaluating theassets andthe related functionsof technology.Itisalso imperative to mentionthatbusinessesshouldbe involved asasupportfunctionwithin the network. The below steps to befollowedto evaluate thetechnology:

• Identification of the Operating Systems (Servers / Desktop / Laptop) used within the entire network
• Categorize devices nearing to End-of-Life period accordingly discontinue updates
• Deploy support personnel to maintain critical assets
• Remove duplication of services provided by different systems

Step 4: Select aSecurity Framework

• Cyber security business plan framework allows organizations to understand why Cyber Security is significant and how the same can be dealt with. It also gives protection on how organizations can lessen the risk of falling victim to any cyber-crimes. Execution of cyber security business plan framework is important as:
• The framework provided is a maturity model that has been fully implemented. Therefore, no additional build-up is required.
• The critical infrastructure of theframeworkcan be implemented in various stages; hence, it seems more effective in businesses. Thisenables theorganizationto implement theframeworkin parts, startingfrom thelower leveland slowly executing to the higher level.
• It provides a measure of the cyber world's current situation and details how the same can be improved with respect to the policies and practices in the Organization.

Based on the requirements of theOrganization, different frameworks can be implemented. These are:

• ISO 27001- The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Cyber Security Framework suggests the best practices that an organization can follow to safeguard its critical assets and data.
• PCI DSS-The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is one of the categories of cyber security structures that emphasizes principles for online payments and transactions. It is a set of procedures that aid Enterprisesin thwartingfraud while transacting through debit cards, credit cards, prepaidcards, or other forms of the card.
• NIST CSF-National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is one of the topmostindustry-leadingframeworks for augmentingthebasic substance of cyber security to recoverthe groundwork for supervisingcyber security menaces by using standard techniques andprocedures. The five core elements of NIST,whichmostOrganizations3 follow,are: Protect, Identify, Detect, Recover, andRespond.
• GDPR-The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) look around to create a coordinated data protection law framework across the European Union (EU) and work towards giving back to data subjects,beingin charge oftheir data, during staggering strict boundary rules on those hosting and processing this data, anywhere in the world.Thisframeworkis also importantforcontrolling and protecting the data from cyber perpetrators.
• HIPPA- The HIPAA cyber security rule standards and implementation specifications have four major sections, essentially created to identify relevant security safeguards that help achieve compliance.These are:
  • Physical
  • Administrative
  • Technical
  • Policies, Procedures, and Documentation Requirements

Step 5: Review Security Policies

Theobjectiveofcybersecurity policieswithintheCybersecuritybusiness planis to address security threats and implementacybersecuritymanagementplan.A thorough review of the policies is recommended toensure security policies are up todate and address emerging threats.The stepstowardreviewing securitypolicies areas follows:

• Keep track of the policies in a centralized location
• Reviewthepolicies annually and/or whenthebusiness needsproperchangewith justification
• Communicatepolicy changes accordinglywithin theOrganization
• Ensure that every policy contains a revision and version information table

Step 6: Create aRisk Management Plan

One of the constructive ways to defend against a cyber security breach is to design a detailed cyber security risk management plan, which needs to be amalgamated into a robust plan thatis responsible forall kinds ofOrganizational risk posture. The intention of the cyber security risk management plan is to substantiate theOrganization'sposture towards cyber security with respect tosafeguardingdata from being stolen or lost. The following 8 steps are a guideline for creating a cyber risk management plan.

• Identifying the most valuable Digital Assets:The primary step in creating a cyber risk management plan involves ascertaining the Organization's most valuable digital assets. A list of critical assets to be createdwith the most susceptible at the highest andto prioritize the most critical list items within the strategy.
• Audit Organization's Data and Intellectual Property:It is essential to perform an audit with respect to Organization's digital assets and data. The audit result's outcome will help create an effective cyber risk management plan.
• Perform a Cyber Risk Assessment:The following step in this process requires carrying out a cyber risk assessment. This particular type of evaluation is designed to identify numerous pieces of information that could be potentially affected by a cyber-attack.The principal goal of a cyber risk assessment is to comprehend where weaknesses exist and curtail gaps in cyber security.
• Analyze Security and Threat Levels:Conducting security and threat modeling can help expose pertinent information regarding threat stages and help Enterprises better determine their cyber security posture.
• Create an Incident Response Plan:An incident management and response plan are a consolidated module of instructions configured toward different cyber security threats such as cyber-attacks, data loss, service outages, and many other events that pessimistically impact normal business operations. The plan can effectively help to detect, respond and recover from cyber security incidents. The incident response plan eventually embeds the cybersecurity recovery plan from a business continuity standpoint.

Step 7: Implement Your Security Strategy

Implementingthe cyber securitymanagementplan is the most important task in the entirestrategy,and this comeswith a layered approach. Internalteamsdiscuss theplans in detailand assign remediationtasksaccordingly. A PMOwill lead the project,create milestones forevery task,and track closureto complete the enactmentaccordingly.

Step 8: Evaluate Your Security Strategy

This last step informingthe cyber securitystrategy istostartongoing support of the security strategy.The security strategy must bemonitored andtested frequentlyto ensure the goals of the strategyalign with the threat landscape. Belowarestepsto befollowed to maintaincontinuousandcomprehensive oversight:start ongoing support of the security strategy.It is imperative that the security strategy be monitored and tested frequently to ensure the goals of the strategy align with the threat landscape. Below arestepsto be followed to maintain continuous and comprehensive oversight:

• Establish internal stakeholders from all the business functions for ongoing support
• To performanAnnual RiskAssessment
• Obtain regular feedback from internal and external stakeholders

What to IncludeinYour Cyber Security Plan Templatefor Small Business

Acybersecurityactionplan template for smallbusinessesoutlines everythingtheOrganizationneeds to protectthebusinessfromcybersecuritythreats. A thoroughcybersecurityprojectplantemplateincludes preventative andreactive measuresto minimizebusinessrisk.The plan typically includesthe followingcomponents:

How to Implement Cyber Security Plan for your Business andBest Practices

Having a cybersecurity implementation plan from the start and continuing it throughout the development cycle is an industry best practice.However, the process is monotonous and requires detailed planning before execution.Below are the steps toimplement a cyber security plan:

1. Build a Cyber Security Team

The first step in a cyber securitymanagementplan is to build a dynamic team. Thisteamdesigns and builds theframeworkof the security program monitorsthethreats andrespondsto the incidents.

2. Inventory and Manage Assets

The cyber securityteam'sinitial screening is to understand the assets thatexistlocation of those assets, make sure the assets aretracked, and secure them properly.In other words, itis time to prepare acatalogof everything that could contain sensitivedata, from hardware and devices toapplicationsand tools (both internally andthird-partydeveloped) todatabases, shared folders, andmore.Oncethe list is prepared, the same is assigned toeachassetowner,and thenthe same is categorizedby importance andvalue.

3. Assess the Risk

Thinking about risks, threats, and vulnerabilities is indispensable to evaluating risk.A list of probable threats to theOrganization'sassets should bemade ready,andthen a numeric scoretodesignate thesethreats basedon the likelihood and impact.The numericscore can beclassifiedandranked accordingly based onpotential impact. Vulnerabilities identified from theseassets can comprisepeople (employees,clients, andthird parties), processes, and technologiesin place.

4. Manage Risk

As the ranking of the list that has been prepared byassessment,it can bedecidedwhetherOrganizationwantsto reduce, transfer, accept, orignore each risk.

• Reduction of risk: Recognize and implement fixes to counter the risk (e.g., put in place a firewall,setup local andbackuplocations,implementDLP tools to curb phishing emails, etc.).
• Transferring risk:Buy an insurance policy for assets or collaborate with a third party to transfer that risk.
• Accepting the risk: Accepting the risk when the value of countermeasuresisgreater than the loss amount.
• Avoiding the risk: This occurs whenOrganizationcontradicts the existence or probable impact of a risk, which is not recommended as it can lead to irreversible consequences.

5. Apply Security Controls

For the risksthathavebeen identified,controls should be implemented.These controls will alleviate oreradicate risks. They can be technical (e.g., encryption, intrusion detection and prevention software, antivirus, firewalls, anti-malware, and phishing software) or non-technical (e.g., policies, procedures, physical and logicalsecurity, and employees).Security controlsaretobe implemented accordingly as per the technical / non-technical aspect.

6. Audit

A complete cyber security audit program should be in place to understand the standpoint with respect toOrganization'sThreat Matrix. This can help theOrganizationidentifythe Root Causeofthe incident as well.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Implementing Your Cyber Security Strategy/Plan

The following list is the most commonareas that should be avoided while implementing the cyber security plan:

• Denial of Common Cyber Threats
• Neglecting Regular Software Updates
• Falling for Common Cyber Threats
• No Training for Employees
• Not Creating Strong Passwords
• No Cybersecurity Policy
• Not Protecting Business Data

Examples of Cyber SecurityManagementPlan

EveryOrganizationis unique,anditsoperatingproceduresaredifferent. Hence, it is importantto understand the complete architecture of the systemsand applicationsin scope within thepurviewof theOrganization.One oftheexamplesofthe heat mapdefiningCIAfor a cybersecurityactionplantemplatewhichdefinesrisk assessmentofthe criticalassets, isattached belowfor reference:

Cyber Security PlanImplementationTemplate

Here are some of the standard Cyber Security Plan Implementation Templates.

• Template 1 –Download Link
• Template 2 –Download Link

The following Cyber Security Program implementation milestonesarethe reference towards the implementation oftheCyber Security Plan:

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Conclusion

The organization should notwait fora cyber incident before implementing aproactive cyber securitystrategy acrosstheirbusiness. With a strong cyber strategy, notonlythebusinesshasa fastrecovery time,butitwill also becautioned and prepared for any cyberincidents in the future.