Name: Angel Hernandez
Title: Cybersecurity Budget Plan
BLUF: With a small budget, I would take the limited funds and mainly focus on network monitoring tools, better password management, secure data backup, and proper training for employees to cover the most important cybersecurity needs effectively.
Introduction:
With a limited budget, I believe the best way to spend it is to focus on a small number of crucial security measures. Network monitoring, secure password management, dependable data backups to ensure speedy recovery after incidents, along with properly trained staff, are essential areas to prioritize. This will offer critical coverage without unnecessary expenses.
Network Monitoring Tools:
Network monitoring would be a top priority for the budget. These tools maintain a constant watch over the network, which will help provide insight in real time. If something unusual happens, like unauthorized access attempts or large data transfers that could mean a breach, these tools will quickly send alerts. “Without being able to monitor network traffic in real-time, systems might be in danger of losing sensitive data to hackers” (Rahimi, 2018). By catching issues like these early, acting fast can prevent small problems from getting worse. For example, if an attacker tries to access the system, network monitoring would quickly alert administrators to block them and prevent any harm.
Better Password Management:
Passwords are one of the easiest things for attackers to target, especially if employees tend to use weak or repeated passwords. A way to address this is to invest in a secure password manager. This tool helps employees create strong, unique passwords, which eliminates the hassle of remembering multiple passwords and is cost-effective given that they are relatively inexpensive. Another way to better manage passwords is by implementing Single Sign-On. This would let employees access multiple systems with just one strong password, reducing the number of passwords they need to remember and making it harder for attackers to hack into the system. “Single sign-on (SSO) is a new authentication mechanism that enables a legal user with a single credential to be authenticated by multiple service providers in a distributed computer network” (Wang, Yu, & Xie, 2012, p. 294). Strong password management tools make it very hard for hackers to gain access through password guessing or theft.
Reliable Data Backup and Recovery:
It is crucial to establish a stable backup and recovery system. Cyberattacks can lead to data loss and service interruption. It is important to have secure backups to ensure that if data is stolen or locked by attackers, it can be quickly recovered, allowing operations to return to normal quickly and efficiently. This process also involves regularly testing backups to confirm their functionality when needed. A reliable backup plan helps reduce the risk of losing valuable information and also mitigates the impact of potential cyberattacks on business continuity. As noted, “The presence of a data center in an organization demands the development of a solid plan for the most effective usage of a software program to handle data recovery” (Alrashdan, Wahed, Aljarrah, Tubishat, Alzaqebah, & Aljawarneh, 2024, p. 2545). This highlights the need for a clear plan to keep recovery systems effective and ready if data is lost.
Employee Training:
Investing in employee training is crucial for building a strong defense against cyber threats. When employees can identify risks like phishing emails and suspicious links, they can quickly prevent attacks before they happen, saving the company time, money, and resources. Adequately training staff, especially in high-risk roles, will help reduce costly breaches, minimizing the organization’s spending.
Conclusion:
With limited funds, I think the most important thing to do is to prioritize network monitoring, password management, data backup, and proper training. This approach supports the organization’s ability to prevent, detect, and recover from cyber threats efficiently, delivering essential security without unnecessary spending.
References
Rahimi, A. (2018). Developing a methodology for determining the effectiveness of security monitoring tools within a network (Doctoral dissertation, Washington State University)
Wang, G., Yu, J., & Xie, Q. (2012). Security analysis of a single sign-on mechanism for distributed computer networks. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, 9(1), 294-302.
Alrashdan, M. T., Wahed, M. A., Aljarrah, E., Tubishat, M., Alzaqebah, M., & Aljawarneh, N. (2024). The impact of data recovery criteria, data backup schedule and data backup prosses on the efficiency of data recovery management in data centers. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 8(4), 2539.