Cybersecurity is an ever-evolving field, and as technology advances, so do the threats that businesses face. This is particularly true in Africa, where the use of technology is growing rapidly, and cybercriminals are taking advantage of vulnerabilities to launch attacks on businesses of all sizes.
As a distributor of cybersecurity solutions in Africa, we at CyberHub Africa are committed to helping businesses protect themselves against these threats. In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of NIST Compliance for MSPs and MSSPs and how Webroot’s solutions tie in with NIST guidelines.
Compliance with NIST cybersecurity standards is a smart idea for strengthening your data architecture for avoiding and responding to data breaches and attacks.
You eliminate a lot of the uncertainty surrounding how you're going to maintain your IT systems secure by incorporating NIST best practices into your own internal operations. In today's technology-based society, things like giving personnel thorough training and laying up a clear contingency plan are essential, and the NIST 800-53 goes into great length on these topics.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework provides a comprehensive approach to managing and reducing cyber risks. It consists of five core functions:
Identify
Protect
Detect
Respond
Recover
Webroot’s solutions can help in a number of these components allowing our Channel partners and their clients to implement a robust cybersecurity strategy that addresses areas of a business.
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework has significant implications for MSPs that offer cybersecurity services to their clients. Achieving NIST compliance is a journey for MSPs, regardless of whether they are just starting out or have an established business. Here are some key points to keep in mind for MSPs embarking on this journey:
1. Understanding the NIST Framework: MSPs need to have deep understanding of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, its core functions, and how it can be applied to different businesses. By doing so, you can help your clients assess their currently cybersecurity posture, identify areas of improvement, and develop a customised cybersecurity strategy that aligns with the framework.
2. Meeting Compliance Requirements: Numerous African businesses are required to follow various cybersecurity laws and standards, like HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GDPR and POPIA. To comply with these regulations, a strong foundation, such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, could be employed. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can support their clients in understanding these laws and implementing the essential controls to meet the requirements.
3. Providing a Comprehensive Approach: MSPs are in a good position to assist their clients in enhancing their cybersecurity posture and reducing the risk of cyberattacks if they provide a holistic approach to cybersecurity that incorporates all five key NIST Cybersecurity Framework functions. MSPs can serve as a one-stop shop for all their clients' cybersecurity needs by providing a variety of services, from risk assessments to incident response.
4. Enhancing Cyber Resilience: The NIST Cybersecurity Framework emphasizes the importance of cyber resilience, which is the ability to withstand, respond to, and recover from cyber-attacks. MSPs can help their clients enhance their cyber resilience by implementing controls and processes that address all five core functions of the framework, such as identifying and mitigating risks, detecting, and responding to threats, and recovering from cyber incidents.
Webroot’s Endpoint Protection, DNS Protection, and Security Awareness Training can help address several of these components of NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
The “Protect” component plays a proactive part, Webroot stop a potential cybersecurity event. This can be achieved by testing and educating end-users so they can recognise and avoid various cybersecurity threats. Webroot can protect devices and networks by filtering all DNS requests and stopping malware at the domain layer, so it never reaches the network(s). Plus, with their multi-vector endpoint protection, they can protect users and devices from different vectors of attack, browsers, USB, keyloggers, and more in real-time.
To meet the ‘Detect’ part of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, organisations need to implement solutions that can identify potential cybersecurity events accurately and quickly. Webroot’s Endpoint Protection provides real-time protection against known and unknown threats by using advanced threat intelligence and machine learning algorithms. The solution monitors endpoint activity and evasion shields for known threats and behavioral analysis and monitoring. Webroot’s Endpoint Protection also provides threat hunting capabilities, journaling, and auto-remediation to respond to unknown (zero day) threats, enabling organisations to proactively search for potential threats and quickly respond to and remediate threats that have been identified.
Webroot’s Endpoint Protection solution helps organisations meet the ‘Respond’ part by offering automated response to detect threats, journaling for detailed record-keeping, and real-time reporting for threat activity and security posture. By using this solution as part of a broader cybersecurity strategy, organisations can respond effectively to cybersecurity events and enhance their resilience to cyber threats.
To meet the ‘Identify’, administrators need to identify the assets they need to protect and any entry points that need to be secured. Vulnerability scanners can be used to ensure all systems are fully patched and up to date.
Regarding the ‘Recover’ part of the framework, it is critical to have a business continuity and disaster recovery plan in place to ensure a quick recovery in the worst-cast scenario. Whilst Webroot’s monitoring, journaling, and auto-remediation features can bring the machine into the pre-infected state without the need for re-imaging, we do advise having a reputable backup in place to ensure a complete recovery in the event of a cybersecurity incident. The Recover part of the framework defines cyber resilience, and how quickly an organisation can recover in the event of a cybersecurity incident can make all the difference.
Achieving NIST compliance is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process. MSPs should continuously monitor their clients’ cybersecurity posture, identify areas for improvement, and implement the necessary changes to enhance their clients’ cybersecurity resilience.
Check out Webroot’s podcast ‘NIST cybersecurity Framework’.
To be effective in delivering security compliance, MSPs need to understand the NIST and the frameworks it provides. By doing so, they can help clients implement a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that addresses all areas of their client’s business.
Are you looking to improve yours and your client’s cybersecurity posture and comply with industry standards?
Like CyberHub, Webroot believe that the best way to protect against cyber threats is to use a layered approach that includes multiple security solutions.
For more information about Webroot's solutions please contact us, your trusted cybersecurity distributor. Our team can provide you with detailed information about Webroot's endpoint protection, DNS protection, and security awareness training solutions. You can also take advantage of our free 30-day trial to test Webroot's solutions and experience their benefits first-hand.
Don't wait until a cybersecurity incident occurs, take action today to protect your organization from cyber threats.