Roscoe Petersen, Head of Cyber Security at Cyberlogic

In today’s digital age, safeguarding your organisation’s sensitive information is paramount. With cyber threats more prevalent than ever, Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) is a formidable ally. It aligns your financial priorities, strategic goals, and security needs with your business’ cybersecurity solutions, systems, and controls.

Imagine your cybersecurity efforts as a multi-layered defence, with each layer working together to protect your organisation. Individually, each solution plays an important role, but, alone they are vulnerable. A robust GRC framework overlays your cybersecurity solutions in the most effective way, forming a powerful, unified defence. Cyberlogic’s Head of Cyber Security, Roscoe Petersen, unpacks some of the ways GRC brings your cybersecurity landscape together:

1. Email hygiene and end-user security awareness training: Threat actors often infiltrate your defences through email, relying on human nature for a way in. Robust email hygiene practices, coupled with end-user security awareness training, help safeguard against this. Good GRC practices ensure your email security meets regulatory standards and best practices and advocates training programmes to educate your staff about cyber threats, thwarting social engineering attacks.

2. Password complexity audit: Good GRC practices specify periodic password complexity audits, safeguarding your accounts with strong, unique passwords.

3. Policies/procedures creation: Comprehensive IT and security policies, created as part of good GRC practices, guard against threats arising from policy gaps.

4. IT and security audits: Integrating an audit plan into your GRC practices identifies and addresses control weaknesses.

5. Regulatory compliance: By ensuring compliance with regulations and standards, such as PoPIA, GDPR, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, etc., a robust GRC framework helps you navigate the complex compliance landscape.

6. Managed Security Operations Centre (SOC): A team of experts monitoring your IT environment, coupled with GRC practices to coordinate their efforts, ensures real-time monitoring and effective threat response.

7. Network and web application vulnerability detection and remediation: Integrating GRC practices with vulnerability remediation strategies helps address weaknesses before they’re exploited by creating a systematic approach to identifying and managing vulnerabilities.

8. Network and web application penetration testing: GRC practices def ne the frequency and approach for regular penetration tests, identifying vulnerabilities and strengthening your security posture.

9. Intrusion detection and prevention: GRC policies define when and how intrusion detection and prevention systems are used, helping to stop unauthorised access attempts.

10. Digital forensics: GRC practices enable digital forensics procedures, enhancing data access, accelerating investigations, and facilitating post-incident responses. When these security controls are strategically orchestrated under the guidance of GRC, they form a resilient defence, greater than the sum of its parts. GRC aligns your cybersecurity controls to safeguard your business’ strategic growth and protect your technology investment.

Cybersecurity is more than just technical defences; it’s a holistic strategy. GRC ensures your technical security measures work together to support your organisation’s goals, compliance needs, and risk tolerance. It coordinates the interplay of your cybersecurity measures, ensuring maximum efficiency and defining how your business responds to incidents.

ABOUT CYBERLOGIC

Cyberlogic is a trusted Managed Solutions Provider, specialising in IT leadership, cybersecurity, and cloud solutions. For over 27 years, we’ve delivered transparent, open guidance to help our clients improve their technology processes, grow their businesses, and secure their data. To fi nd out more about our comprehensive cybersecurity solutions, visit www.cyberlogic.co.za