How Do You Know If You Need 24/7 Monitoring?

Imagine it’s 2 AM. The world outside your office window is quiet and suddenly, your cybersecurity alarms blare to life, signaling a potential breach in your organization’s digital fortress. 

It is the real challenge many businesses face, especially large ones.

In these moments, automated incident response systems may offer a solution, but the risk of false positives looms large, potentially inundating off-duty teams with unnecessary alerts. 

So what you can do to avoid this scenario? 24/7 monitoring is one of the potential options.

In this article, we’ll talk about the facts of 24/7 monitoring, exploring its importance, necessity, and innovative strategies that keep businesses one step ahead in cybersecurity.

What is 24/7 Monitoring?

24/7 monitoring means always keeping an eye on your digital systems to catch and stop cyber threats whenever they appear. 

Every day, every hour, every minute – 365 days in the year.

It involves keeping a watch over your network, servers, and data, ready to detect and respond to any potential threats that may arise, day or night. Think of it as having a digital security guard stationed around the clock, diligently monitoring your cyber perimeter, and standing ready to defend against intruders and attacks.

Does My Business Need Cybersecurity 24/7 Monitoring?

When it comes to cybersecurity you’re aware that there’s no such thing as business hours. Let’s see why 24/7 monitoring is more than just a convenience.

Identifying Potential Risks in Cybersecurity 

In a perfect world, problems would only be around the 9-to-5 schedule. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with cybersecurity threats.

These problems strike when least expected, waiting for the opportune moment to pounce.
24/7 monitoring ensures that no threat goes unnoticed, providing early detection and swift response to potential risks before they escalate into full-blown crises.

Critical Infrastructure Protection

From power grids to financial systems, any disruption can have far-reaching consequences. 

With 24/7 monitoring in place, your digital fortress remains unbreakable, ensuring seamless operations and safeguarding against the constant attack of cyber adversaries, no matter how determined they may be.

Incident Response Considerations

Every. Second. Counts. In cybersecurity. Let’s get into the important considerations for effective incident response in a 24/7 monitoring environment.

Importance of Timely Response

This statistic not only highlights the significant financial implications of prompt action but also underscores the broader impact on organizational resilience and reputation. 

Beyond the obvious security-related reasons for timely response, there is also a legal aspect to consider. Companies are often bound by specific Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and failing to respond promptly can lead to legal issues if clients suffer.

Risks of Delayed or Inadequate Response

Delayed or inadequate response to cybersecurity incidents can have devastating consequences for organizations.

Here’s a closer look at the risks associated with delayed or inadequate response:

• Financial Losses: Every minute counts in the aftermath of a cyber attack. Delayed response can prolong the duration of the breach, allowing cybercriminals to exfiltrate sensitive data, disrupt operations, and inflict significant financial harm on the organization. 
• Reputational Damage: Maybe your company isn’t the size of Apple or Microsoft, but news of a data breach or security incident can spread rapidly through social media and news channels, leading to negative publicity and loss of confidence among stakeholders. 
• Regulatory Non-Compliance: Many industries are subject to stringent regulatory requirements governing data protection and cybersecurity. A delayed or inadequate response to a cyber incident can result in non-compliance with these regulations, exposing the organization to regulatory investigations, fines, and penalties.

 Awful things, right?

Balancing Automation with Human Intervention

In the quest for efficiency, organizations often turn to automation to streamline their cybersecurity operations. However, finding the right balance between automation and human intervention is key in this process.

Leveraging Automation for Efficiency

One of the most significant benefits of automation is its ability to accelerate incident response times. By automating routine tasks like alert triage, investigation, and remediation, cybersecurity teams can swiftly identify and neutralize threats before they escalate into full-blown breaches.

Automation also improves operational efficiency by reducing the likelihood of human error and increasing consistency and repeatability in security processes. 

Augmenting with Human Expertise

Automated systems may generate alerts for benign events or anomalies that do not pose a genuine threat, leading to alert fatigue and potentially diverting valuable resources away from more critical tasks. 

Also, automation may struggle to adapt to complex or novel threats that require nuanced analysis and decision-making. Cyber adversaries continually evolve their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to evade detection by automated systems. 

Shared SOC as a Service

As organizations grapple with resource constraints and evolving cyber threats, many are turning to shared Security Operations Centers (SOCs) as a service to bolster their cybersecurity capabilities.

A shared SOC is a collaborative cybersecurity model where multiple organizations pool their resources to establish a centralized monitoring and response infrastructure. By sharing the operational burden and collective intelligence, participating organizations can enhance their security posture while optimizing resource utilization.

Benefits of Outsourced Monitoring

By opting for a shared SOC as a service team, organizations ensure round-the-clock protection from the outset. To learn more about how outsourced monitoring can enhance your cybersecurity, book a consultation with us today.