Introduction:

Benchmarking your cybersecurity posture is crucial for staying ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats. By comparing your performance against industry benchmarks, you gain valuable insights and improve your overall security strategy. In this expert paper, we explore the significance of benchmarking in cybersecurity and provide a step-by-step guide to help you enhance your vulnerability management efforts.

Why Benchmark Your Cybersecurity?

1. Driving Competitive Advantage

Benchmarking your cybersecurity allows your organization to flourish through healthy competition. By comparing your performance against peers, you can identify areas for improvement and set higher standards for your security posture. This competition motivates departments to collaborate, share best practices, and address common vulnerabilities collectively.

2. Enhancing Governance

External benchmarking provides a broader perspective on where your organization stands in the industry. It helps you showcase the need for sustained focus on cybersecurity to management and stakeholders. By aligning your performance with industry benchmarks, you can advocate for increased budgets and resources to tackle vulnerabilities more effectively.

3. Reducing Incidents

Maintaining an above-average cybersecurity level reduces the likelihood of major incidents. Hackers often target the weakest members of the herd, so by staying above the average, you make your organization less attractive to bad actors. Benchmarking helps you gauge your standing and take necessary steps to strengthen your security defenses.

4. Transparency in Budget Allocation

Benchmarking allows you to gain transparency into how well your cybersecurity budget is being spent. By comparing your performance against industry peers, you can identify areas where investment is needed and allocate resources strategically. This ensures optimal utilization of your cybersecurity budget.

The Myth of the All-Knowing Hacker

Contrary to popular belief, hackers are not always ahead of you. Most hackers target organizations with weak security measures. Maintaining an above-average cybersecurity protection level is often sufficient to deter them. Benchmarking helps you understand where you stand compared to other companies, emphasizing the need for consistent cybersecurity efforts rather than pursuing perfection.

The 5 Easy Steps for Benchmarking Cybersecurity:

1. Planning

Decide what aspects of your cybersecurity to benchmark. Many companies overlook benchmarking their cybersecurity KPIs due to a lack of awareness or a perception that the global hacker threat does not directly concern them. Ensure that your chosen benchmarks are accessible to all IT professionals, expressed from a hacker’s point of view, and actionable.

2. Set Relevant KPIs

Two essential KPIs for benchmarking in cybersecurity are the Hackability Score and the Cyber Security Rating. The Hackability Score assesses your organization’s ability to follow security best practices in patching, hardening, and exposure. The Cyber Security Rating benchmarks your business among peers, evaluating technology security and effectiveness in protecting against common attacks.

3. Analyze the Data:

Utilize tools like the Autobahn Security platform to analyze the Hackability Score and Cyber Security Rating. These metrics provide insights into your performance compared to industry peers. Internal benchmarking reveals departmental performance and promotes friendly competition towards cyber fitness.

4. Develop an Action Plan:

Use the insights gained from benchmarking to develop an action plan. Focus on actions that lower hackability and complicate hackers’ efforts. Leverage user-friendly tutorials and exercises to improve patching, hardening, and system security. Consistent effort in applying recommended cybersecurity practices leads to improved scores and better protection.

5. Monitor Progress:

Continuously monitor your Hackability Score and Cyber Security Rating to track progress. Internal benchmarking helps measure improvements across departments, while external benchmarking highlights deviations from industry peers. Lowering hackability and maintaining a good Cyber Security Rating indicate efficient allocation of cybersecurity budgets.

Conclusion

Benchmarking is a vital component of effective vulnerability management and cybersecurity strategy. By benchmarking your performance against industry peers, you can