What is Secure by Design

Cybersecurity has become one of the pillars most companies stand on. Doesn't matter if you're small or a huge multinational — it applies.

Cybersecurity has become one of the pillars most companies stand on. It doesn't matter whether you're a small shop or a giant multinational — everyone needs to protect themselves. It's important to keep up with the times, especially in cybersecurity, so in today's article I'll introduce Secure-by-Design.

What are the cyber threats?

Modern attacks include:

·         Ransomware: malware that encrypts your data and requires a unique key to decrypt. These attacks tend to be the most expensive and painful for companies.

·         Phishing: misleading messages or emails trying to extract sensitive information. Roughly 83% of all companies experience phishing attacks every year.

·         Advanced persistent threats (APTs): long-running, focused attacks that try to steal sensitive data.

·         Zero-day attacks: attacks targeting bugs in systems that haven't yet been disclosed.

·         IoT vulnerabilities: a type of attack focused on finding and abusing flaws in devices.

What is Secure by Design?

Secure by Design (SbD) is an approach in which cybersecurity is treated as one of the primary functions of any application, software, or hardware. So instead of bolting security on at the end of development, it's considered from the very beginning. How do you bring SbD into your company? Two main factors:

·         When buying any software or hardware, ask whether they follow SbD principles, and if not, consider a different product.

·         Adopt SbD principles in your own projects. Try to treat cybersecurity as one of the most important factors.

Core SbD principles:

· Risk assessment: identify where risks may show up and avoid them from the start.

· Least privilege: use the lowest-privilege accounts available — that significantly cuts the risk of total collapse.

· Defence in depth: layer multiple defences.

· Updating: regularly update every device.

· User training: teach your staff how to defend themselves against cyberattacks.

Why SbD matters

Proactive security

Ordinary security handles problems reactively — meaning it only deals with them once they occur. SbD addresses any vulnerabilities at the development stage, lowering the risk of compromise.

Cost savings

If you focus on security from the beginning, you won't have to laboriously bolt it onto an existing system later — saving both time and money.