How Secure is your Start-up?

Analyse your security posture

A
nascent
technology
organization can often have a
pretty long to-do list. A mad
rush ensues in the early stages of
inception
when
business
development efforts take up
highest priority and security
often ends up as one of the very
last items on the list.
If theres anything to deduce
from the pattern of cybercrime
victims in recent times, it should
be that startups can no longer bank on the were not there yet excuse to shrug off or postpone
security management. It is easy to empathize with them because all along, weve been led to believe
that cyber criminals only target bigger companies. Sadly, this is far from the truth. Read on to know
why your business might be at stake as long as that misconception exists.
Technology-intensive startups are learning the hard way that they are indeed potential targets for
millions of attackers looking for ways to make quick bucks off confidential information or just
intending to wreak havoc on infrastructure. No matter what the intent is, an unguarded spot in your
assets and networks can prove to be a major setback for your emerging business. Native startups
like Ola Cabs and Gaana.com were basking in the glory of a fresh wave of patronage when both
companies were caught unawares by hackers. Loss of user credentials and user behavior information
were just one aspect of the price they paid for neglecting security risk assessment. The real damage
is always the loss of credibility and a diminishing interest in what the company has to offer. The age
of internet business has the inherent risk of offending a huge portion of the target audience owing
to a seemingly minor security flaw.
Hacking entities are being managed like any other business whose central goal is to maximize its
return on investment. Naturally, they would prefer the easier targets with long windows of exposure
to which they could latch on like a spile and drink up. With a lack of the requisite IT resources and
expertise for a holistic security set up, startups and SMBs universally fit the bill.
One grave blunder that small businesses and young tech companies make is relying on basic
antivirus, firewall and anti-spam software for their defense. Symantec recently made a public
confession that your antivirus is no longer relevant in the era of cloud computing. Startups are
reportedly the most common adopters of cloud-hosted software and infrastructure for the sheer
cost-efficiency and ease of integration they offer. The best way to stay protected is by understanding
the third party vendors security policies and that of the channels leading back to your internal
networks. Vigilant companies prefer a cloud service provider whose security measures focus on
data-centric defense rather than application-centric defense. Encryption is the most widelyacknowledged safeguard especially for companies that manage raw, big data. A start-up is liable to

face legal action for a breach of its information even while it is at rest with one of its cloud service
providers.
Inside-out Approach to Security
Yet another smart move is to look at security initiation from the inside what experts would call
information-centric security. This approach would ensure that the company is aware of the kind of
security flaws and potential exploits that each data asset is exposed to. Analyzing the environment
where data is at rest and in motion requires a pervasive vulnerability assessment. This exercise will
help your IT department zero in on deviations from normal behavior that could invite malicious
interception.
Organizations must acknowledge the fact that security is not a one-time task but a continuous
process of monitoring and evaluation

Companies that have a BYOD policy must educate themselves about imminent threats like accidental
loss of data caused by a minor error of a well-meaning employee.
That takes us to the next important aspect of maintaining the health of your internal defense
mechanism.
Employee-centric social sensitization
Otherwise referred to as social engineering in security parlance, this concept is gaining popularity
among technology enterprises that wish to acquaint employees with major technology migrations.
Ponemon Institute discovered that about 64 percent of data breaches were caused by human error
and access mismanagement.
Organizations are now adopting Unified Threat Management devices that offer composite control
over employee access to cloud and enterprise assets. Detecting misconfigurations in these control
devices can be challenging. Security personnel can adequately educate your employees to avoid
naive actions that may put themselves and the companys assets in a dicey situation. Every team
needs to understand how their negligence can give way for advance persistent threats to weaken
the companys line of defense.
Security audit experts usually offer this sensitivity training as part of their vulnerability status
reviews and recommendations. Today, one can no longer demarcate benign areas from blatantly
malign ones. The goal is to get every member involved in managing individual practices with
diligence. This can also help eliminate the perceived hostility surrounding the idea of a hardcore
surveillance policy.
Understand the objective of security assessment for your enterprise and application
Security experts assert that it may be time to accept that security management is moving from the
goal of breach prevention to breach detection and mitigation. The ugly truth is that it is no longer
practical to think one can prevent all data breaches. The only way out is a continuous appraisal to
evaluate your posture and what are the latest attack vectors that have developed after your last

evaluation. Young enterprises can leverage on a security testing partner who works with you from
scratch and provides long term assistance in ensuring continuous excellence.
The most important step in adjudging your security posture is identifying the key focus areas with
respect to your enterprise and the technology platforms your applications are dependent on.
Security assessment is not a generic, one size fits all capsule. Most tools in the market fail to offer
focused results simply because they are quite generic in approach. An ideal vulnerability and risk
appraisal would begin by investigating existing operational pathways and dependencies and give you
valuable insights on what it can offer for your enterprise. This way, you will only have to pay for the
services that you actually need.
Evaluate your options
While it is every organizations responsibility to make an informed decision in hiring or partnering
with a security services provider, the most desirable trait one must look for in security partner is
their ability to understand your environment and their capability to offer a focused and
complementary service package.
Organizations must acknowledge the fact that security is not a one-time task but a continuous
process of monitoring and evaluation. However, it is indispensable at certain points in time including
before you go live following a major upgrade or a change in the product portfolios. Identify a cyber
security analyst with a constantly updating threat databases of attack modes that cause high
damage from a safe distance.
Our services include: Ethical Hacking, Managed Security Services, Application Security, Network
Security, Security Testing, Enterprise Security, Security for IoT, SCADA Security, Digital Forensics