WEI Tech Exchange

Using Performance Controls to Address Cybersecurity’s Achilles Heel

By Bill Frank |   Mar 21, 2024

See Bill Frank’s biography and contact information at the end of this article.

[Note: This is an updated version of the original article posted on March 21, 2024. I replaced the term "Governance” Controls with “Performance” Controls to eliminate any confusion with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 use of the term “Governance.”

I focus here on automated controls that monitor and measure the “performance” of “Defensive” controls that directly block threats or at least alert on suspicious activities.

How well are your cybersecurity controls performing? Measuring control efficacy is challenging. In fact, under-configured, misconfigured, and poorly tuned controls, as well as variances in security processes are the Achilles Heels of cybersecurity programs.

A mismatch between risk reduction potential and performance results in undetected threats (false negatives) as well as an excessive number of false positives. This leads to an increase in the likelihood of loss events.

All controls, whether people, processes, or technologies, can be categorized in one of two ways – Defensive or Performance.

How An Innovative Approach To Network Segmentation Improves Data Security

By Josh Cronin |   Jun 14, 2022

The rapid implementation of digital transformation across all industries makes network management and security more complex. This heightened complexity increases vulnerabilities, leading to a greater frequency of data breaches along with a higher average cost per breach. Just last year, businesses experienced the highest average cost of a data breach in 17 years at $4.24 million, rising from $3.86 million in 2020. To stay protected, enterprises need to utilize efficient approaches such as network segmentation.