The digital world is evolving daily. You can do much to boost your sales, from monitoring your target customers to collecting their data to enhance your campaigns. 

While this is a game changer, it has also increased cyber attack risks. Hackers develop sophisticated programs daily to conquer even the most complex security systems. Luckily, the cybersecurity industry is also growing to match the demands, which has led to cybersecurity ideas like defense in depth (DiD).

Defense in depth has proven to be very effective when used well. It can delay attacks and allow correction and recovery time when attacks are successful. We will discuss all these factors in detail and much more in this article.

 

What does defense in depth mean?

Defense in depth is a cybersecurity approach that adapts different defense mechanisms to protect an organization's systems. The different layers are designed to block, control or mitigate any attacks on the systems. 

The DiD system was adopted by the National Security Agency (NSA), which intentionally built a weak perimeter to have space to attack its opponents. While the cybersecurity measures don't cede to its attackers, they stay prepared by having a counter-attack plan in case the hacker succeeds in getting through their first wall.

Why is defense in depth strategy important?

The benefits of using the defense in depth strategy include the:

  • It speeds up the recovery process from a cyber attack. With several layers of security, it's easier to detect when your network is attacked and respond fast. This means less damage and quick recovery from the attack. 
  • It improves the security system of your corporation. Multiple security layers protect your company from being prone to spear phishing and minimize the impact of ransomware and other cyber attacks.
  • It allows you to protect your community. DiD ensures you safeguard your employees' and buyers' private information, making you compliant with the regulatory privacy requirements. 
  • It significantly reduces losses caused by data breaches. The cyber attacks have been increasing over the years as more and more businesses sort to create an online presence. The extra security features from a DiD system can improve your finances by saving the money you’d have otherwise used to recover from adverse cyber attacks. 

How does defense in depth work?

Defense in depth uses several layers of security to protect an organization's property from landing in the wrong hands. 

Every layer of the security system is designed differently to delay an attack based on the technology the attacker is using.

The DiD works in several ways, including:

  • Delaying the attack, which allows the security department enough time to react.
  • Alerting the security team immediately there is a threat
  • Minimizing the risk of an advanced attack by using different technologies to stop the hacker at every stage.

For example, a computer can automatically shut down after three password attempts or ask for a code only authorized personnel can access. The computer can also send an alert system to the security team if a hacker continues to make further attempts. Before you decide on your DiD strategy, the first question you need to answer is; “ What are security breaches?” to know what you’re working against. 

What are the types of defense in depth?

1. Physical controls

This layer prevents attackers from physically accessing your systems, tampering with them, or stealing them. They are traditional fortifications that can be used for home security to military security. Some examples include:

  • ID scanners
  • Cameras
  • Alarm systems
  • Biometric security like facial recognition and fingerprint readers 
  • Security guards 
  • Locked doors
  • Guard dogs 
  • Reinforced fences 

2. Technical controls

Technical controls are hardware and software components that protect an organization's data and systems. They are different from physical controls because they protect the contents of the systems instead of the systems themselves. Some examples of technical control include:

  • Secure web gateways (SWG), 
  • Firewalls
  • Intrusion detection or prevention (IDS/IPS)
  • Anti-malware software
  • Endpoint detection and response (EDR) 
  • Disk encryption 
  • Biometric scanning 

3. Administrative controls

These security controls exist within an organization and are implemented by the staff. The administrative control systems control the access to corporate resources, internal systems, and other sensitive data. They also provide security awareness training to ensure every employee is updated on the regulations of an organization. 

Some examples of administrative controls include:

  • Hiring practices 
  • Confidentiality policies 
  • Digital code of conduct 
  • Data handling procedures 
  • Security requirements 

Types of security control in defense in depth 

A good defense in depth system has three types of security control:

1. The preventive controls

These are the controls that prevent the attacks from happening. They include:

  • Access controls
  • Firewalls
  • Malware scanners 
  • Data and device encryption
  • Antivirus software 
  • Spam management tools  

2. Detective controls.

These controls alert the security team when an attack is successful. They include:

  • Audit trails 
  • CCTV footage 
  • Security event log-in monitoring 

3. Corrective controls

These controls help an organization recover from successful cyber attacks. They include: 

  • Disaster recovery plans 
  • Business continuity plans 
  • Automatic removal of malware

What are the elements of defense in depth?

Cybersecurity thefts take different forms, and preventing them is a continuous process. However, a few security protocols have been proven crucial when designing a DiD. They include:

Network security controls

Network security controls ensure a network's services' integrity, confidentiality, and availability. They ensure that malicious or unauthorized users don't access your network. These controls include access control, authorization, accounting, security policy, identification, etc. 

Firewalls can be customized with security rules – they can then evaluate the traffic against the set rules to determine whether they're a potential threat. 

Antivirus software 

Antivirus software is crucial in preventing the spread of viruses and malware from printers, laptops, and other devices before they cause any further damage.

Hackers are notorious for exploiting signature-based solutions, so it's best to use a heuristic-based solution as it scans continually and offers reliable protection. 

Behavioral analysis 

Algorithms can detect any abnormalities based on the agreed "normal" behavior. If anything fishy is detected, they alert the security departments or contain the breach. 

Data protection 

There are several data protection methods that a DiD incorporates. They include: 

  • Hashing 
  • Encryption of data at rest
  • Source IP address checks 
  • Encrypted backups 

Access controls 

Controlling the user access to your network from accessing critical resources or exfiltrating data is one way of keeping your network safe. 

Standard control measures in defense in depth include: 

  • Single sign-on (SSO)
  • Virtual private network (VPN)
  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA) and biometrics

Use defense in depth for your cybersecurity. 

Protecting your organization from cyber attacks should be your top priority. Hackers can cause so much damage by accessing a company’s documents. Some risks involve selling your strategy to competitors, blackmailing you, or releasing confidential data to the public. 

One effective way to safeguard your network from cyber attacks is using the DiD system. It provides several security layers, which delay a cyber attack, significantly reducing the success of an attack. 

 

If you’re just getting started setting up your cybersecurity system and feeling lost, reach out to RiskRecon, a Mastercard company, for a free demo and experience how we protect our clients from online attacks.