Zero Trust and Governance Are Key to Regulatory Compliance
Over 20 years ago, Evgeniy Kharam launched his career on the “high seas” as a cybersecurity engineer for the Israeli Navy. In his subsequent professional career, he has spent over 40,000 hours in pre- and post-sales support as a cybersecurity architect and consultant working with private and public sector organizations—from those with 500 employees to those with more than 100,000 employees.
You Trust Your Organization is Secure. But Can You Verify It?
Kharam sees zero trust as a critical ingredient for any cybersecurity program and argues in a recent Kitecast episode that protecting sensitive content requires appropriate governance tracking and controls. As part of this process, least-privilege access and employing zero trust when it comes to governance policies are crucial in managing security and compliance risks. This blog post outlines some of the key highlights from the Kitecast episode:
The Need for Robust Private Content Governance
Security professionals recognize that private content governance is a crucial component of any organization’s security framework. The need to protect data while ensuring it is still accessible is a priority for organizations of all sizes and in all industries. Unfortunately, traditional security measures are no longer enough to keep pace with the evolving threat landscape, and organizations must look to new approaches to protect their most sensitive data and systems. This means pushing the boundaries of private content governance, and understanding how the latest technologies, processes, and policies can improve the overall security posture of an organization.
Overview of the Private Content Governance Challenges
Organizations face a variety of obstacles when it comes to private content governance. The proliferation of cloud-based systems, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solutions, and mobile applications have made it difficult to manage and secure data and systems. The use of multiple vendors can add complexity and make it difficult to ensure that all components of the security framework are properly integrated. As if this wasn’t enough, the rapidly evolving threat landscape has led to an increased demand for data privacy, forcing organizations to take additional steps to ensure their data is secure.
The Need to Push the Boundaries of Traditional Security Measures
As organizations strive to meet the challenges of the modern threat landscape, it has become clear that traditional security measures are no longer enough. Organizations must adopt a more comprehensive approach, one that takes into account the latest threats. This means pushing the boundaries of private content governance and understanding how the latest technologies, processes, and policies can impact an organization’s overall security posture.
Applying Zero-trust Security to Private Content Governance
One of the most important steps organizations can take to improve their private content governance is to adopt a zero-trust security model. This security model is based on the principle of never trusting anyone, including employees. This means that every user, system, and device are authenticated and authorized every time sensitive data or systems are accessed.
Advantages and Challenges of Zero-trust Security
There are several benefits of zero-trust security. By implementing a zero-trust architecture, organizations can better protect their data, systems, and networks from malicious actors. Zero-trust security can help reduce the risk of data breaches and other security incidents. The main challenge with zero trust is that it requires an organization to have a deep understanding of its security environment and a strong security posture. As such, many organizations have turned to managed security service providers (MSSPs) to help them implement zero-trust security models and ensure that their security environment is robust and up to date.
Role of Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs)
MSSPs are third-party providers that can provide organizations with a comprehensive suite of security services. These services can range from basic monitoring and reporting to advanced threat management and incident response. MSSPs can help organizations implement zero-trust security models, as well as providing ongoing maintenance and management of the security environment. MSSPs can provide valuable insights into the security environment, helping organizations better understand their vulnerabilities and take steps to address them. MSSPs help organizations develop cyber risk management strategies by assessing third-party risk (TPRM).
Understanding Cybersecurity Concepts in Relation to Private Content Governance
In addition to zero-trust security, there are several other cybersecurity concepts that organizations must understand in order to ensure robust private content governance. These include:
Endpoint Security
Endpoint security involves protecting all of an organization’s computing devices and making sure that they are properly configured to protect the data they contain. This includes making sure that all devices are up to date and are running the most secure operating systems, applications, and antivirus software.
Network Security
Network security is the process of protecting an organization’s networks and systems from unauthorized access and malicious actors. This includes making sure that all data is properly encrypted and that all systems utilize strong authentication protocols. Organizations must ensure that their networks are regularly monitored and updated so that any potential issues can be quickly identified and addressed.
SIEM/SOC/SOAR
A security information and event management (SIEM) system is another important part of private content governance. SIEMs help organizations monitor their networks for suspicious activity, as well as alert them to potential security incidents. Security operations centers (SOCs) and security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) platforms provide organizations with the ability to quickly identify, investigate, and respond to security incidents.
SASE/SEE
Secure access service edge (SASE) and secure edge environment (SEE) are two important aspects of private content governance. SASE is a cloud-based security solution that can provide organizations with secure access to cloud-based systems and applications. SEE is a dedicated environment that provides organizations with a secure perimeter for their applications and systems.
VMS
Virtual machine security (VMS) is an important component of private content governance. VMS helps organizations protect the virtual machines (VMs) in their environment by ensuring that only authorized users can access them. VMS can help organizations detect and respond to potential threats, as well as providing protection against malicious actors.
Cloud Security
Cloud security is a critical component of private content governance. Organizations must ensure that all of their data and systems remain secure while in the cloud, and that they are actively monitoring and protecting against potential threats. This includes making sure that all data is properly encrypted and that all systems utilize strong authentication protocols.
Connected Infrastructure and Need for Vendor Consolidation
To further improve the security of their systems and data, organizations must look to connected infrastructure and vendor consolidation. Connected infrastructure allows organizations to better integrate and share data across their entire network. This provides organizations with the ability to better manage their security environment and ensure that all components are properly integrated. Vendor consolidation can help organizations reduce complexity, as well as allow them to better manage and monitor their security environment.
The Benefits of Robust Private Content Governance
Organizations have a responsibility to ensure that their data and systems remain secure at all times. To do this, they must take a comprehensive approach to private content governance. This means pushing the boundaries of traditional security measures and understanding how the latest technologies, processes, and policies can improve their overall security posture. This includes adopting a zero-trust security model, understanding key cybersecurity concepts, utilizing connected infrastructure and vendor consolidation, and leveraging the services of an MSSP. By taking a more comprehensive approach to private content governance, organizations can stay ahead of cyber threats and better protect their data and systems.
Private Content Governance With Kiteworks
Kiteworks recognizes the importance of a zero-trust approach to content communications and the risks associated with not applying this approach. According to Kiteworks’ 2022 Sensitive Content Communications Privacy and Compliance Report, fewer than half of organizations have applied zero-trust principles across all their content communications channels.
Kiteworks provides a platform that helps organizations implement zero-trust models across their content communications channels, such as email, file sharing, managed file transfer (MFT), web forms, and application programming interfaces (APIs). By leveraging Kiteworks, organizations can unify, track, control, and secure sensitive content communications in virtual real time.
Schedule a custom demo to see how Kiteworks can enable your organization to protect sensitive content while leveraging a platform model to extend privacy and compliance of sensitive content across numerous digital channels.
Additional Resources
- Report Benchmark Your Sensitive Content Communications Privacy and Compliance
- Webinar Addressing the Biggest Gap in Your Zero-trust Strategy
- Blog Post What Is a Private Content Network?