Cyber Security Expert’s Tool Belt: Three Must Haves

Cybersecurity, a term coined of this era, refers to the protection of systems that utilize the Web. Unlike the security vaults and sensitive data rooms of times past, the Internet brings an additional complex later to the realm of security. Cybersecurity is meant to counter attempts to unlawfully access an entity’s data or system. As the Internet and technology are fast-moving and ever-evolving so too are cyber criminals and so must cybersecurity tools and techniques need to be. Among the methods and mechanisms of cybersecurity, there are three that should be latched to every cyber security expert’s tool belt.

SCADA Monitoring Software

Supervisory control and data acquisition, or simply put SCADA, can be likened to an electronic security tool. Like a Swiss army knife, it serves a number of purposes. In layman’s terms, this software gathers large amounts of data and has the ability to flag misnomers in the system. Essentially, it is a centralized system that can monitor and control large organizations, typically industrial, to ensure its operations are running as they should. These can include, for instance, a large power plant and the complex systems that run it. If this monitoring software detects an anomaly in the pre-set functioning of the power plant process, it can halt operations to avoid damage and allow for repairs or alterations to be made to rectify the issue.

Incident Response Tools

The process of incident response involves catching any issues that arise which may affect security and allowing for the opportunity to action an analysis and eventual response or solution. A key aspect of maintaining security is documenting any security issues that could potentially occur as well as the response to be taken in the aftermath. This allows for preemptive measures to be in place, which can either prevent security breaches or else lessen their impact. The crucial aspects of incident response tools is the detection of anomalies and the prompt signaling or warning. These tools formalize and streamline what steps to take in the event of a security event to ensure the best possible outcome.

SOAR Cybersecurity

SOAR, or Security Orchestration, Automation and Response, is a dynamic system that is meant to detect security threats in an automated fashion so as to suppress them promptly and without human assistance. These incidents tend to be minor threats and can ease the burden of individuals whose task it is to manage cybersecurity so they may focus on larger and more impactful dangers.  This system generally comprises of a number of software programs that work in tandem to constantly amass data from different sources. The strength of this form of cybersecurity is in its breadth and depth as the security data is amalgamated from many and multiple diverse sources.