My first experiences in unlocking awareness through data was before “big data" became a thing. During that time, we brought disparate datasets together to create something innovative, establishing a template that has guided many of my subsequent pursuits. Most of us recognize that interweaving data in unique ways opens avenues for novel insights, products, and connections that were previously unimaginable. The opportunity is boundless.
Over the past few decades, substantial investments have been directed toward technology to expand these digital data connections. Each connection ignites fresh ideas in an unending cycle and as the saying goes, "Data is the new oil." Yet, akin to oil, data in its raw form is messy and useless. Its value only materializes when put to use.
In cybersecurity, our reliance on data is paramount in comprehending cyber risk. For those concentrating on information security, data confidentiality, integrity, and availability define the key risk areas. While numerous tools exist to aid security teams, they often scrutinize only a fraction of the total cyber risks an organization may encounter. They frequently overlook the interconnections and impacts of different risks. For instance, a risk in the supply chain could elevate the importance of certain internal issues. The mere existence of assets on the network creates risk, and the ever-evolving threat landscape compounds this complexity.
We at Pellonium believe the aperture of data to understand cyber risk is much broader that what’s currently available.
The reality is that data that informs a true awareness of cyber risk is scattered across the organization, beyond just the security stack and often outside the reach of the security team. Many others are often involved with owning and managing systems that contain relevant data throughout the organization. Moreover, software and digital systems are constantly added or removed from the network, making things more complicated. The endless possibilities of data mean there's always a desire to find new ways to generate revenue and reduce cost. Understanding cyber risk is only becoming more complex. The tie that binds it all, however, is data.
As recently highlighted by Homayun, our foundational principle is the imperative need for a comprehensive awareness of the threats an organization might confront. In my experience, the starting point for such awareness is a comprehensive dataset—far beyond the confines of data related to just the output from the security stack. Fortunately, newer techniques have emerged where data can be streamed, extracting the information it contains and then purging it to reduce the cost and risk of holding the data – more on this later. The next step is organizing this data so that it can be used. Once the data is organized, insights can be derived, products built, and awareness delivered.
The key challenge we are focused on at Pellonium is delivering to our clients a comprehensive understanding of cyber risk. Understanding begins with awareness, and in the modern digital age, awareness comes from data. This is why we have formulated our data analytics platform to be open and impartial, accommodating any data that may harbor insights to augment our clients' awareness of cyber risk. Making informed decisions about risk requires a solid foundation of awareness, which begins with thoroughly understanding the data from the totality of your cyber environment.
For more information on how Pellonium can help you use data to enable better awareness of your cyber risk, please contact us at info@pellonium.com.
