Are you using off the shelf solutions for your cybersecurity? If so you are putting yourself and your company at risk. There are certain areas where a one size fits all type of solution or strategy may work. Unfortunately, in the realm of cybersecurity, it is a risk you do not need to take. Yes, there are advantages to using an off the shelf strategy or cybersecurity policy. It is inexpensive and easy to implement. At least it is at first. But what happens when you encounter an issue that is not an off the shelf problem? What do you do when some type of attack that no one has ever heard of before comes to your doorstep?
What do you do then? Do you go back to your off the shelf vendor and request something more? Or do you go to a new vendor and look for other solutions that are more customizable? This is a tough question and it will occur at a very difficult time. A time when decision making is high pressure and can mean instant success or failure.
Doing Something?
Of course, if you have been reading my material for a while you will note that I do recommend strenuously that you take action and take that action now. This has been one of the keystones of my philosophy and strategies over the years. Some action is better than no action and will protect you even a little for the moment. But we need to caution against getting into a situation where we think that ordering an off the shelf one size fits all cybersecurity policy will work effectively in the long run.
If you need to plug something in right now maybe you can purchase something and get in in place for the moment. But this should never be done with the thought that this is a fix of any kind. It would have to be looked at in the rare case of a quick temporary stopgap. Something you are doing on your way to an effective security posture with the correct cybersecurity policies to protect your company.
Oxygen Mask
You know the well-used analogy of the oxygen mask in the airplane. The instructions tell you to put the oxygen mask on yourself first before helping anyone else. Because if you help the other person first you may pass out before you get the oxygen mask on yourself. To carry the analogy further, this, of course, is in the case of a stopgap emergency procedure. Like most companies, your real opportunity to protect yourself is not when the crisis is occurring and you needing an oxygen mask. The real opportunity is to start protecting yourself now; today.
Before you need the oxygen mask in the first place. Putting into place correct policies and procedures is a strategic and a tactical function is best done by senior management and possibly delegate down to department heads. And those department heads can solicit input from the correct subject matter experts in their respective areas. It is not something you buy from a one size fits all vendors. That is a policy for disaster in the long run.