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 Empowering Cybersecurity Resilience Through Innovation: A Case Study in Enhanced Incident Management
Empowering Cybersecurity Resilience Through Innovation: A Case Study in Enhanced Incident Management

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Empowering Cybersecurity Resilience Through Innovation:

A Case Study in Enhanced Incident Management

 

What if your organization's most sensitive data could be compromised simply because your incident management system couldn't handle the volume of alerts? Did you know that government IT bodies often manage millions of cybersecurity incidents every month, yet many still struggle with common ticketing systems, home-grown basic workflows, or even spreadsheet-based tools to manage their data loss incident remediation process? Most of these solutions are woefully inadequate to handle the challenges of:

  • Meeting SLAs when there are unpredictable spurts of data loss alerts
  • Providing documented alert investigation trail to satisfy compliance auditors
  • Producing accurate and timely reports for various stakeholders

This case study described how a leading APAC country's Government IT Body transformed its incident management process using an innovative automation approach.

In the cybersecurity domain, where threats evolve rapidly, effective incident management stands as a cornerstone for organizational resilience. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) technology implementation plays a crucial role in the cybersecurity landscape by safeguarding sensitive information from unauthorized access, breaches, and inadvertent leaks. If sensitive data such as personally identifiable data (PII) is lost or transferred to unauthorized entities, it could cost an organization immensely not only from the perspective of financial damage but also reputational damage.

A diagram of data loss prevention

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Then there is the issue of demonstrating compliance with statutory regulations such as Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). By enforcing policies that govern data usage and transmission, DLP ensures that critical information remains secure both within and outside organizational boundaries.

The prevalent trend of working from home introduces new threats and risks; sometimes even traditional security processes are bypassed due to a shortage of resources, and overworked security and infrastructure professionals.

DLP Implementation Challenges of Government IT Bodies

Government IT bodies face many unique challenges in handling cybersecurity incidents and alerts due to the complexity and scale of their operations:

  • The agencies often manage vast amounts of sensitive data and operate within stringent regulatory frameworks, necessitating robust cybersecurity measures.
  • Common issues include the sheer volume of alerts generated by monitoring systems, which can overwhelm limited resources and delay response times.
  • Additionally, the diversity of technologies and networks within government infrastructures complicates incident detection and response efforts.
  • Coordinating across different departments and agencies further exacerbates these challenges, requiring centralized strategies and interoperable tools to effectively manage and mitigate cyber threats.

For a leading APAC country’s Government IT Body (GIB), tasked with safeguarding sensitive data and critical infrastructure, managing millions of incidents monthly posed a formidable challenge. The incidents, arising across a sprawling network of over 150,000 endpoints, demanded a robust and agile response mechanism. The endpoints generated approximately 10 million incidents every month. The existing incident investigation and response methods struggled to efficiently manage the incidents. GIB also wanted to levy monthly usage charges on the various government departments based on the actual number of department’s endpoints managed by the DLP and GIB’s incident remediation service. There was no easy method or system available to compute the charges on an ongoing basis and generate monthly usage bills for the government departments. The DLP OEM did not have any method to support this must-have requirement.

Introducing a Revolutionary Solution:

To address these challenges, the GIB deployed an add-on to their DLP, which functioned as an advanced automated incident response solution and transformed their incident management capabilities drastically, as listed below:

  • Automatic rule-based processing ensured the alerts were quickly processed and documented before they got closed in the DLP.
  • Customized Dashboards: Intuitive dashboards provided real-time visibility into incidents to different stakeholders. It helped users to visually analyze incidents on their custom dashboards, and effectively monitor and prioritize the approximately 1 million incidents that needed greater attention, automatically filtered out from the approximately 10 million generated in a month.
  • Dashboards with incident data of up to 1 year were provided to stakeholders for review, neatly classified in monthly tables, with department-wise separation.

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  • Each department was provided with their own dashboard to view alerts and reports related to their endpoints.
  • Automated Reporting: This enabled automatic generation of monthly reports, including DLP incidents, monthly user data, and consolidated billing reports. This automation replaced manual processes, reducing billing cycle times and ensuring accuracy.
  • The option to view all the active DLP policy rules, allowing seamless operation as changes to name and description in DLP policy rules are now automatically synced and reflected in the custom dashboards.
  • Seamless integration with the GIB’s ITMS system to automate the process of policy application on endpoints. This allowed for efficient policy application across endpoints, reducing the time for provisioning and deprovisioning from days to hours.

 

Quantifying Success: Measurable Improvements and Operational Agility

The implementation of this innovative solution yielded significant improvements across key performance metrics:

  • Operational Efficiency: SLA compliance rose to 100%, driven by automated incident handling and streamlined policy management.
  • Billing Accuracy: Monthly usage charges, previously delayed until mid-month, are now automatically generated by the 1st of each month, ensuring timely and accurate billing.
  • Agility in Endpoint Management: Tasks such as provisioning and policy application, previously taking days, now occur within hours, accelerating operational responsiveness.

Larger Impact in the Industry

In comparison to traditional methods, which often rely on manual interventions and fragmented systems, the GIB's adoption of advanced incident management solutions represent a paradigm shift in cybersecurity resilience and operational excellence. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies and best practices, organizations can mitigate risks effectively while optimizing resource utilization and enhancing user experience.

To put these achievements into perspective, consider the broader Cybersecurity landscape:

  • According to a report by Gartner, organizations that implement automated incident response see a 50% reduction in the time taken to resolve incidents.
  • A study by Ponemon Institute found that organizations with automated incident response systems experienced 23% fewer data breaches compared to those relying solely on manual processes.
  • The average cost of a data breach in the public sector is approximately $2.3 million, as per IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report. Effective incident management can significantly mitigate these costs.

In conclusion, the successful integration of advanced incident management solutions not only fortified the GIB's cybersecurity posture but also positioned them as a leader in governmental IT security. By prioritizing automation, integration, and efficiency, organizations can navigate the complexities of modern cybersecurity threats with confidence, safeguarding critical assets and maintaining regulatory compliance.

 


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Vidyatech, established in 2000, is a pioneering force in Cybersecurity and Learning technology, serving clients across India, Singapore, the US, Canada and Europe. In learning technology, we offer a full spectrum of services from LMS customization to content localization and custom software development. Our expertise extends to Absorb LMS implementation, SharePoint application development, and cloud migration for legacy systems. In the Cybersecurity domain, our products and services are centred around Workplace Security, Threat Intelligence & Monitoring, Phishing Defence Analysis & Training, Governance, Risk Management &Compliance. This includes DashMagiq® Remediation Solutions for efficient incident management, DLP Workflow for swift resolution of incidents, and the Unified Management Console for real-time monitoring. Vidyatech's commitment to excellence assures our esteemed clientele unparalleled security in their digital operations. Visit www.vidyatech.com to learn more.

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