The world of cyber security continues to grow each day, owing to relentless cyber attacks and new ways that cyber criminals devise to gain unauthorised access to accounts, networks, infrastructure and pretty much any business system. While ransomware, malware, phishing and viruses continue to infiltrate systems via suspicious links and emails, a whole new segment of zero-day attacks have now opened up through social engineering.
From spoofing official hotline numbers to intercepting calls made to businesses, scammers are constantly plotting new ways of not just disguising as official personnel and gaining unauthorised access, but also conducting stealthy social engineering to gradually win the trust of their victims. Banks, lending companies and most financial institutions are particularly susceptible to this, especially during times when customers wish to move money.
The exponential rise of cyber attacks and scams is a wake-up call for every business. No matter the size of your business, or for how long you have been in operation, understanding the indispensability of cyber security is crucial to keeping your users’ confidential data secure, providing them services that are well protected, as well as adhering to compliance requirements laid out by regional or federal regulatory bodies.
AI-powered cyber security companies are popular among businesses of all sizes these days, especially as it eliminates the overhead required to manually sift through alerts, and triage them. However, software outsourcing companies can also deliver targeted cyber security services, as they are home to experienced programmers whose skills can be repurposed for the same.
In this article, we discuss how software outsourcing companies can offer robust cyber security services, both through a DevSecOps approach, as well as through strategies that help protect an organisation’s data, workloads, infrastructure, and entire network perimeters. But before that, we also briefly address the elephant in the room, which is the cyber security talent gap, and some of the reasons behind it.
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Many factors contribute towards the lack of cyber security talent on a global scale. However, two factors are by far the most prominent.
To qualify for an entry-level cyber security position, candidates need to have one or more specialised certifications, some of which are time-consuming, or require some prior domain experience. For example, the CISSP certification requires work experience of at least five years in two out of its eight domains minimum, in order to be considered officially qualified. This presents a chicken-or-egg situation; candidates need work experience in order to get certified, but companies aren’t keen to hire without a certification.
With typical cyber security degrees consisting primarily of theory and textbook-based resources, students do not receive the level of real-world exposure that is required to handle emergencies. Relevant coaching to help inculcate the temperament that’s imperative to handle escalating tension and panic i.e. feelings that are typically conducive to the cyber security field, are also absent. This has been gradually changing, though; through real-world case studies and practical assignments, many cyber security qualifications are now focusing on hands-on experience in order to support students with hard and soft skills alike.
In the wake of a significant talent shortage for cyber security services companies, how can software outsourcing companies contribute towards delivering cyber security services? Considering the overall scope of what software outsourcing companies can offer, protection strategies can essentially be bifurcated. These include:
If your business already partners with a software outsourcing company for building custom software and applications, infusing cyber security as part of a DevSecOps approach is probably the most approachable strategy, when starting off.
What’s more, this may not even require the intervention of a dedicated cyber security professional; incorporating cyber security measures such as multi-factor authentication and granular access permissions are small yet highly effective, and can be done with your existing team of developers without any extra intervention.
Upon concluding smaller cyber security goals, DevSecOps can continue to be an ongoing process to identify any gaps within applications and release patches, to ensure strong protection.
Conducting thorough security assessments that pertain to (but certainly aren’t limited to) network perimeters, infrastructure, workloads, databases and endpoints can then pave the way for establishing stronger protections, especially where gaps have been identified.
While existing software development teams may be able to undertake some activities with the support of AI-powered threat management tools, there may also be a requirement for a dedicated cyber security or compliance professional. This can be determined following the assessments that are made, so your software outsourcing company can do the needful to headhunt and recruit someone relevant.
Cyber security continues to be an important topic of consideration for every organisation, irrespective of size or industry of operation – and for very good reasons. With attacks constantly on the rise and threats lurking in every corner, businesses need to maintain tight security to protect confidential data, stay compliant and ultimately maintain their customers’ trust in them. While dedicated cyber security services companies are typically a go-to source for everything from advisory services to threat management, software outsourcing companies are also now becoming popular for delivering most (if not all) services that pertain to cyber security.
Software outsourcing companies are able to offer cyber security services in a bifurcated approach, which includes:
As zero-day security threats are discovered frequently, companies need the right tools as well as team members to ensure no suspicious behaviour is missed. AI and machine learning have been highly supportive for this endeavour, helping teams filter and triage threats in order to reduce alert fatigue. While software developers within existing software development teams may be able to undertake most cyber security operations, it is possible that advanced expertise may be required from dedicated cybersecurity analysts and other professionals. This is something that can be determined once preliminary assessments are made, so teams are sure about who needs to be hired, as well as the roles they need to play on behalf of your organisation’s cyber security interests.