IT Management, Governance, and Risk Assessments.

 

White Mountain IT can conduct a comprehensive IT risk assessment to help identify, analyze, and evaluate the potential risks to your organization's IT systems and infrastructure. The purpose of an IT risk assessment is to identify vulnerabilities and threats that could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of an organization's IT assets and to prioritize the risks based on the potential impact to the organization.

 

 

1. Identify the IT assets: Identify the hardware, software, and data that are critical to the organization's operations and that need to be protected.

2. Identify the vulnerabilities: Identify the weaknesses in the IT systems and infrastructure that could be exploited by threats such as hackers, viruses, or natural disasters.

3. Identify the threats: Identify the potential sources of harm to the IT assets, including external threats such as cyber attacks and internal threats such as employee mistakes or malfeasance.

4. Analyze the risks: Analyze the likelihood and potential impact of each identified vulnerability and threat.

5. Evaluate the risks: Evaluate the risks based on the potential impact to the organization and the likelihood of occurrence.

6. Develop a risk response plan: Based on the risk assessment, develop a plan to address the identified risks, including measures to prevent or mitigate the risks and plans for responding to risks that cannot be eliminated.

It's important to note that IT risk assessments should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that your organization is adequately protected.

Examples of IT Assessments that we can help with:

 

• • Vendor Security Assessment
  • Cloud Maturity Assessment
  • IT knowledge Transfer Risk Assessment
  • IT Policy, Standards and Procedure Assessment
  • IT Service Desk Maturity Assessment
  • Current State of IT Assessment
  • IT Skills Assessment
  • Internal Controls Self Assessment
  • Office 365 Capability Assessment
  • Service Management Maturity Assessment
  • IT Team Effectiveness Assessment
  • Threat and Risk Assessment
  • Cyber Security Insurance Assessment

 

Cyber Security Frameworks and Standards

There are several cyber security frameworks that organizations can use to help them manage and mitigate cyber risks. These frameworks provide guidance on best practices for protecting an organization's information and systems from cyber threats. Although some frameworks are specialized, both NIST CSF and CIS Implementation Group 1 are solid first steps, and provide basic cyber hygiene guidelines for any organization.  Some common cyber security frameworks include:

 

1. NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF): Developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the CSF is a risk-based framework that helps organizations identify, protect, detect, respond to, and recover from cyber threats. It provides a common language and set of standards for managing cyber risk and aligns with other security frameworks, such as ISO 27001 and COBIT.

2. ISO 27001: This international standard provides a framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an information security management system (ISMS). It helps organizations identify, assess, and prioritize their information security risks and provides guidance on how to manage and mitigate those risks.

3. COBIT: Developed by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), COBIT is a framework that helps organizations effectively and efficiently govern and manage their information and technology resources. It provides a set of best practices and controls for information security, risk management, and compliance.

4. CIS Controls: The Center for Internet Security (CIS) has developed a set of 18 critical security controls that organizations can use to defend against common cyber threats. The controls are organized into three categories: foundational, organizational, and technical.

5. NIST SP 800-171 has gained popularity due to requirements set by the U.S. Department of Defense regarding contractor compliance with security frameworks. Government contractors are a frequent target for cyber attacks due to their proximity to federal information systems. Government manufacturers and subcontractors must have an IT security framework to bid on federal and state business opportunities.

6. Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC): Developed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the CMMC is a framework that assesses an organization's cyber security posture and provides certification at various levels of maturity. It is intended to help ensure that DoD contractors and their subcontractors have sufficient cyber security controls in place to protect sensitive information.

No single framework is a one-size-fits-all solution, and you may need to use a combination of frameworks to meet your specific needs and requirements. It's important to regularly review and update your cyber security framework to ensure that it remains effective and aligns with the organization's current risk profile.