Your VISO will lead the way to keep your organization, employees, and customers protected. Chief among your VISO’s responsibilities is creating the plans and policies that will do just that.
From there, your organization will work with an Auditor to
test those policies against the regulations, to ensure they are hitting all the necessary requirements. Your VISO and the Auditor work together in a checks and balances relationship to ensure your organization is protected under lock and key.
Technology audits and cybersecurity testing that may be implemented to test the policies and processes created by your VISO include:
Technology audits
Security is much more than simply checking boxes. Your VISO will customize each audit to ensure your business is thoroughly reviewed. If there’s something to be found, we’ll find it! Then, your VISO will craft an action plan to address any risks or vulnerabilities found during the audits.
Your VISO may conduct any or all of the following technology audits:
Regulatory Technology Audit
A regulatory technology audit will examine hundreds of items in your organization to identify any vulnerabilities in adherence to regulatory guidelines. In financial institutions and other organizations where compliance is critical, a regulatory technology audit can help you avoid challenges down the road.
HIPAA Testing
Hackers are pretty savvy. They frequently steal and use personal medical information to do all sorts of fiendish things. To protect people across the country, the U.S. government passed the HITECH act. Hackers continue to adjust, and regular HIPAA audits are the government’s way of ensuring companies holding and using medical information are doing their best to protect their customers.
Our HIPAA testing will identify any vulnerabilities to ensure you’re compliant before the government comes knocking. Depending on your specific organization and needs, we’ll craft a custom HIPAA testing plan to check every possible nook and cranny.
ISO Gap Analysis
When only the highest level of security and protection will do, organizations aim for ISO 27001 certification. The cream of the crop proudly display their ISO 27001 status...but diligent oversight and testing is important to stay at the top of the pack.
As your audit nears, it’s important not to go in blind. Your VISO will lead the way for ISO Gap Analysis, which will compare your current security standards to ISO 27001 requirements. We’ll identify any gaps between your current standards and the standards needed to achieve and maintain ISO certification. Kind of like taking the PSAT before the SAT -- we’ll conduct the pretest so you can anticipate how you’ll score (and address any vulnerabilities before the big day!).
Risk Assessment
Sometimes, you don’t need the fine tooth comb of a full technology audit. Sometimes you need to just check the locks on the windows and doors...or something like that ;)
In all seriousness, a risk assessment makes sense for many organizations in many circumstances. If your VISO determines a risk assessment makes sense (now, and in many cases throughout the year to proactively identify concerns), we will assess all major areas of risk within your organization and calculate your Overall Risk Level. Then, with the resulting report, your VISO will implement the necessary changes to close any vulnerabilities.
Breach Assessment
The word “breaches” sends a shiver down the spine of business leaders around the world. That’s because when we hear about breaches on the news, we are often pummeled with scary threats and risks and PR disasters and all that sort of thing.
Here at Vala Secure, and especially with your VISO, we don’t get lost in hype or fear tactics. Instead, we take a calm, measured approach to protecting your business from a breach.
Your breach assessment is a personal, real-time inspection. It is a powerful way to test your organization on a number of levels without placing you at risk.
Cybersecurity Testing
Cybersecurity tests with Vala Secure measure the effectiveness of your cybersecurity strategy, and outline the steps you can take to address any vulnerabilities and concerns. Your VISO will determine which cybersecurity testing makes sense for your business, then will oversee the testing and implementation of solutions to address any concerns.
Your cybersecurity testing may include any or all of the following:
Penetration Testing
During Penetration Testing, we use a variety of tools to try and gain access to your network from the outside looking in. Some of the tools we use include Nexpose, Metasploit Pro, Kali Linux and more. And our Penetration Testing is administered by a team of experienced, passionate cybersecurity experts here at Vala Secure -- all overseen by your VISO.
Penetration Testing will identify any flaws or opportunities that hackers and other nefarious characters could try to exploit in the future. Then, your VISO will take steps to address the opportunities and fix the flaws so that your organization is wrapped up tight and snug.
Penetration Testing - Wireless
Traditional Penetration Testing protects your organization from bad guys around the world. But what happens when the bad guys are right outside your door?
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies and public-facing WIFI in particular can open up businesses to vulnerabilities. Yet, it’s pretty hard to tell your employees they can’t check their email on their phones, and your clients or customers that they’re out of luck when it comes to internet access.
Wireless access points often provide an entryway into your network for hackers. Even if your primary network is well protected. During wireless penetration testing, we’ll test every possible access point to your network, all under the guise of your VISO. If there’s a way to get in, we’ll find it.
Internal Vulnerability Assessment
A lot of cybersecurity testing takes an “outsider” approach -- trying to break in or exploit a way into your network. With an Internal Vulnerability Assessment, your VISO will test your internal network to see if any vulnerabilities exist from the inside.
Your VISO will oversee a range of scans during an Internal Vulnerability Assessment, which will comb through your network, servers, workstations, wireless network, software, and databases using cutting-edge technology. We have the tools and expertise to go toe to toe with hackers -- and keep them away.
Based on what we uncover during an Internal Vulnerability Assessment, your VISO will take action to address any concerns.
Social Engineering
While your employees are humming along, doing their jobs and contributing to your bottom line, it’s possible that crafty bad guys are coming up with new ways to exploit them to gain entry into your organization.
Chief among them is, well, your employees. In fact, a recent report found that 47% of leaders indicated human error led to a data breach in their organization.
With social engineering, your VISO will oversee testing of your human network. Social Engineering identifies vulnerabilities with phone calls, phishing emails, in-person attempts...even dumpster diving (if the bad guys would do it, we will do it!).
If we find any vulnerabilities in your human network, your VISO will take action to close them up and keep your business safe, without embarrassing your employees.
VMaaS
VMaaS or Vulnerability Management as a Service, ensures consistent monitoring of your internal network to identify and proactively respond to potential vulnerabilities before they cause trouble.
Your VISO will oversee the development and implementation of VMaaS to continuously protect your organization throughout the year. We’ll conduct monthly scans and send detailed reports to your VISO. Plus, we can conduct on-demand scans when requested.
SOC Reporting
For organizations subject to SOC 2 and SOC 3 testing completed by external auditors, our SOC reporting will test and report on your organization’s security, availability, or the processing integrity of your system.