Cyber Security Vs. Cyber Resilience: How Are They Different?

Most business operations rely on systems and digital assets in today’s tech-driven world. Because of this, it’s more crucial than ever to ensure their security to implement measures to safeguard your business from cyber risks such as ransomware, malware, or phishing. Only by doing this can you safeguard your company’s sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands. 

But for you to effectively protect your business from cyberattacks, you need to understand the difference between cyber security and cyber resilience. And to better understand these strategies, look no further. Here’s a detailed guide on cybersecurity and cyber resilience to help you understand what separates these two. Let’s get started. 

What’s Cyber Security? 

Cyber security refers to the different methods, processes, technologies, human activity, and governing policies put in place to protect the company’s computer networks, systems, and digital assets. Therefore, to prevent hackers from accessing your IT network and systems, cyber security measures, such as NAS backup are being considered as a proactive course of action. There are different ways to achieve such, and these include the following:

• Install firewalls and antivirus protection and update every software. 
• Observe compliance standards to safeguard user data. 
• Help secure services and gadgets against cybercrime, theft, viruses, and other spiteful activities. 
• Lock your computer screens. 
• Train members on their different obligations to support security when doing their everyday tasks. 
• Safeguard products and services that provide your business with value. 
• Install fencing around your building premises. 

With such cyber security protocols, you’ll be in an excellent position to keep off hackers from finding their way into your IT systems. Nonetheless, hackers are persistent and constantly looking for possible landscape changes that’ll allow them to access your IT system.  

What’s Cyber Resilience? 

Because cybersecurity attacks are constantly evolving, no security measure is 100% foolproof. This is why cyber resilience, which entails improved precautionary measures to mitigate the impacts of cyberattacks, comes in handy. After all, even in adversity such as a compromised cyberattack, you still need to resume business operations by doing the best to limit damage and generate value. In addition, you’ll be in a better position to know how you can best endure a cyberattack in the future.    

Some of the different measures involved in cyber resilience include: 

• Ensure there are offline backup functions such as customer service in an emergency. 
• Upskill your employees to prevent internal issues caused by human error. 
• Come up with plans to recover from public relations (PR) issues arising from being a victim of a cyberattack. 
• Have a backup generator. 
• Review your company’s readiness by regularly doing simulations and analysis. 
• Develop a continuity plan for your company. 

It’s crucial to observe cyber resilience as it helps you protect yourself from future vulnerabilities better and lessen the damage by ensuring proper data risk treatments and appropriate information. In addition, cyber resilience helps you develop an exhaustive report on the aftermath to better understand the consequences of an attack. Knowing this will be integral in guiding you to develop a new defense system. This way, you’ll be able to ensure that the company operations will continue running smoothly even after being targeted by hackers.  

Are There Any Similarities Between Cyber Security And Cyber Resilience? 

These two terms both have the word “cyber,” hence sometimes used interchangeably because both embody the goals to safeguard you from cyberattacks. In addition, cyber resilience offers your organization continuity even after a cyberattack. These two works hand in hand to ensure the information technology (IT) systems and networks are secure. 

What’s The Difference Between Cyber Security And Cyber Resilience? 

Cyber security focuses on proactive measures which intend to help your company from the increased prevalence of cyberattacks such as malware or ransomware. In contrast, cyber resilience refers to how well your company can alleviate damage and resume its normal operations after getting hacked. 

Another distinct difference is that cyber security concentrates on mitigating external threats. However, cyber resilience focuses on both external attacks such as ransomware and internal threats, such as human error. 

What Steps Should You Take To Cover Both Cyber Security And Cyber Resilience? 

You can follow a couple of practical steps to seamlessly incorporate cyber security and cyber resilience, and these are as follows: 

1. Simulate Different Security Incidents 

It pays to be prepared for a cyberattack rather than assuming you might not be a victim one day. You can do this by simulating different security incidents that can better guide you to strengthen your cybersecurity posture and cyber resilience strategy. Keep in mind that by ensuring your company does all this, you’ll be able to stop a possible cyberattack and immediately notify relevant law enforcement, investors, and customers. This will boost cyber resilience and make everyone more confident in the long run.      

2. Regularly Backup Your Data 

After suffering from a cyberattack, you want to resume normal operations as soon as possible. This is why regularly backing up your company data is essential. Ideally, you should back up this data to a separate network to keep it far from the reach of hackers. And in the event this data gets lost, you’d still be confident that you can get back on your feet with efficient cyber resiliency. 

3. Highlight The Importance Of Cyber Security And Cyber Resilience To Your Board  

The only way you can effectively protect your company from a potential cyberattack is by ensuring everyone in the company is well prepared and informed on ways to defend your company’s data from potential attacks. This includes everyone in the company, even the board of directors, who in most cases tend to be less familiar with the technical aspects. You can ensure everyone’s informed and understands the necessary safety measures by using straightforward metrics for presentations and reports. 

Takeaway 

While cyber security and cyber resilience both aim for the same purpose to protect your business data assets from a malicious attack, they do have some distinct differences. And to enlighten you further, this guide has outlined everything you need to know about these measures to mitigate a possible cyberattack. Thanks to this, you’ll be better placed to protect your business from becoming yet another victim of these vicious hackers.