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Examples to Improve Your Security Rating

Cybersecurity ratings offer a comprehensive view of an organization’s cyber health. But what if your position on the security rating scale isn’t favorable? Read on for actions you can take to enhance your security rating, with an exploration of the various types of security assessments. 

Understand the Security Rating Scale

The first step towards improvement is understanding. A security rating is a metric that gauges an organization’s cybersecurity health. The rating is based off a security rating scale, often visualized numerically or through grades, which offers insights into potential vulnerabilities and strengths. By pinpointing where your organization stands, you can tailor strategies to address specific weaknesses. 

The next sections will go over actions your organization can take to help improve your security rating.

Conduct Regular Types of Security Assessments​

A robust cybersecurity strategy hinges on regular assessments. The mitigations and remediations you take based on the vulnerabilities and threats identified will help to improve a security rating. Here are some pivotal types of security assessments to integrate: 

  • Risk Assessments: Understand the potential threats and the risks they pose, allowing for a more informed defense strategy. These are run by your security ratings provider and should provide an output of any cybersecurity risks and threats that you should remediate. Once they are remediated and you are assessed, your security rating should improve. 
  • Vulnerability Assessments: These delve into potential weak points of IT assets, applications and software, offering a roadmap for rectification. These can also be run by your security ratings provider and should provide an output of found vulnerabilities that you can remediate. Again, once they are remediated and you are reassessed, your security rating should improve. 
  • Penetration Testing: By simulating cyberattacks, you can identify and address exploitable vulnerabilities before they’re exploited by malicious entities. 
  • Compliance Assessments: Stay abreast of industry regulations, ensuring your organization remains compliant and avoids potential legal pitfalls. 

Additional Resources

What is a security rating?

Context based security ratings

Cybersecurity rating scale explained

What are security ratings used for?

How are security ratings created?

What is a good cybersecurity rating?

How do you improve your security rating?

Is it easy to switch security ratings providers?

Why is my security rating wrong?

What Kind of Company is BitSight?

Select What are the 5 C’s of Cybersecurity?          

What is the Highest Security Rating?

What is the difference between SecurityScorecard and BitSight?

What is the difference between BitSight and RiskIQ?

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Educate and Train Your Staff

Employees are the first line of defense. Equip them with the knowledge and tools to safeguard your digital assets: 

  • Ongoing Training: Cyber threats evolve; ensure your team’s knowledge does too. Regular sessions can keep them updated about emerging threats and basic cyber hygiene like the importance of guarding passwords. Leaked employee credentials on the dark web are a source for phishing and social engineering threats. 
  • Phishing Simulations: A hands-on approach can test and reinforce their ability to identify and thwart phishing attempts. 
  • Clear Cybersecurity Policies: Foster a culture of cybersecurity by establishing and reinforcing guidelines on best practices. 

How to Fix an Incorrect Score

Mistakes happen. If you believe your security rating doesn’t accurately reflect your cybersecurity posture: 

  • Engage with the Rating Provider: Initiate a dialogue, seeking clarity on the factors influencing your score. 
  • Provide Evidence: If discrepancies are found, for instance, you are being associated with an asset that is not yours, furnish evidence to support your claim. This could include results from recent security assessments or compliance certifications. 
  • Regular Updates: Ensure that all your cybersecurity measures, updates, and improvements are well-documented and communicated to the rating provider. 

Implementing Security Controls

Enhancing your cybersecurity rating isn’t just about addressing weaknesses but also about fortifying strengths: 

  • Access Control: Ensure only authorized personnel can access sensitive data. 
  • Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems: These can identify and thwart potential threats in real-time. 
  • Data Encryption: Safeguard your data, both at rest and in transit, ensuring it remains inaccessible even if breached. 
  • Regular Backups: Ensure data integrity and availability, even in the face of cyber threats. 

Improving Your FortifyData Security Rating

Users of FortifyData benefit from a prioritized list of threats and vulnerabilities that we discover from our risk assessments. This lets your team know what to remediate first to provide the biggest impact to your security posture. 

You can even test how remediating specific risks will impact your security rating with our Score Simulator. Then you can either create remediation tasks or export the ones you decide to remediate to a remediation plan. 

Find out your score and what you can do to improve it! 

Get Your Free Security Rating

With a proactive approach, regular assessments, and a commitment to continuous improvement, any organization can enhance its security rating. Remember, in the realm of cybersecurity, vigilance and proactive defense are the cornerstones of success. 

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