The problem with security isn’t that there aren’t enough security tools. There’s a whole laundry list of tools you can use, including firewalls, antivirus, data loss prevention, intrusion detection, user behavior analytics, and more. The problem is creating a rational strategy for using all those tools effectively, ensuring no gaps and no weak points.

This is made even more challenging when many of the systems you need to protect either exist in locations outside your control (like the cloud or a user’s mobile device) or interact with systems you don’t control (through API calls and other data transfers to third party systems). It only takes one overlooked vulnerability to allow a bad actor access.

So the first step in solving your security problems isn’t identifying the newest security tool to add to your environment. It’s taking a step back and considering exactly what your environment is. You need to identify all your on-premises infrastructure, secondary/disaster recovery sites, cloud systems, shadow cloud systems, plus end user devices including home computers, tablets, and cell phones. You need to identify where your data resides, where it’s used, and how it travels between locations. You need to know how your users introduce security risks, whether through unsafe software, weak passwords, or emailing sensitive data.

An infrastructure assessment is a good way to gather this information. This includes both manually examining your architecture and chasing down missing details, as well as using tools to collect and analyze data to reveal vulnerabilities. With the vulnerabilities and data, both on premises and cloud, categorized as high, medium, or low priority, you can start devising an integrated solution where the components work effectively together.

That requires considering how tools will talk to each other as part of your tool selection criteria. You may have to build your own solution to achieve true data sharing. Ideally, you’ll have a “single pane of glass” management tool that provides the overall status of your systems; you might need to do some custom work to implement that, too. In addition, you can’t test your security by validating individual environments, applications, and tools. You need to take a high-level look at your organization and continually probe for vulnerabilities, particularly where there are interconnections between systems.

Get help developing an integrated cybersecurity strategy from Prescient Solutions. We take a look at your entire architecture with our infrastructure assessment, and then custom-craft a solution to provide comprehensive data security. Contact us to learn more.