Endpoint Security Incident Response: Seven Best Practices for CXOs

Every C-suite executive (CXO) is now part of the cybersecurity conversation. 

The connected and continual nature of security threats makes them a shared responsibility. No matter their area of expertise — from finance to operations to information to experience — executives all have a role in reducing security risk.

As threats continue to evolve, however, C-suites need best practices that both prepare for the worst and offer a road to recovery if and when the worst comes to pass. In this piece, we’ll break down the current state of C-suite security, explore emerging challenges in effective defense, and offer seven best practices for improved endpoint security management.

The State of C-Suite Security

According to IBM, global cyberattacks are predicted to cost companies $10.5 trillion worldwide. As noted by research firm Gartner, meanwhile, 54% of C-suite leaders cite evolving threat landscapes as their biggest challenge, while 52% are worried about budget restrictions. Other concerns include the changing regulatory landscape (44%) and existing technical debt (21%).

When it comes to their cybersecurity priorities for 2024, data security topped the list at 49%, followed by cyber resilience at 34%, and vulnerability management in a close threat at 33%. 

For CXOs, ongoing shifts in both attack patterns and regulatory expectations — combined with smaller budgets and talent shortages — create a landscape where threats are continual but cybersecurity may be hit-or-miss.

Emerging Challenges in Effective Defense

Even as C-suites look for ways to boost security without breaking budgets, cyberattackers are finding new ways to compromise networks and access corporate data. The result? Emerging challenges in effective defense, such as:

Next-generation AI

While AI tools offer benefits for cybersecurity, they also offer a new way for attackers to compromise key systems.

For example, malicious actors can now use AI frameworks to scan for known and unknown vulnerabilities, pinpoint application weaknesses, and predict the defensive patterns of traditional security tools. The result is security in slow motion as familiar systems struggle to keep pace with evolving attacks.

Attackers are also using their knowledge of AI to craft AI-busting attack methods. Consider the recent development of “Conversation Overflow” attacks, which add concealed text to phishing emails that let them slip by AI defenders.

Here’s how it works. Unlike traditional security tools which scan for “known bad” characteristics in emails, AI tools search for deviations from “known good” practices. By assessing how much of an email follows known good practices, tools can reliably determine if senders and messages are legitimate.

This approach, however, can also be exploited. By adding hidden text to phishing emails that mimics known good communication, attackers can fool AI tools into letting them pass and letting them land in executive inboxes. And since recipients are confident in their AI email solutions, they’re less likely to scrutinize emails and more likely to click through on malicious links.

Last-generation Attacks

Last-gen attacks are also an ongoing problem for organizations. For example, both familiar phishing campaigns and old-school macro attacks are once again making the corporate rounds.

Why? Because they work. Consider phishing emails. Between existing security tools, new AI algorithms, and employee education, the vast majority of emails either won’t get through or won’t get clicked. 

All it takes, however, is one. Just one email that makes it into a corporate inbox. Just one staff member who thinks the message is legitimate and clicks through to “reset” their password. And just one compromised account for attackers to gain network access and start moving laterally through IT environments. 

Widening Skill Gaps

CXOs also face the challenge of skill gaps. While there are now over 1 million cybersecurity professionals employed across the United States, the NIST-funded Cyber Seek project reports more than 550,000 job openings nationwide. In other words, skills demand outstrips supply.

Lacking Incident Response Plans

According to Help Net Security, 47% of midsized businesses do not have incident response plans in place, despite their growing concerns about cybersecurity incidents.

Skill gaps are partially responsible — without security experts, companies are hard-pressed to implement IR plans. In addition, many C-suites aren’t sure exactly what their plan should include and how it should operate when incidents arise. 

Cultural Disconnects

Employees are the last line of defense against cyberattacks. Even if attacks make it past perimeter defenses and AI tools, they can still be stopped cold if staff don’t open phishing emails or click on malicious links.

The challenge? More than 40% of staff say they don’t report known cyber incidents to managers and team leaders, with 43% of those who don’t report saying they fear potential consequences and 32% saying they simply forgot to take action. Depending on the nature and severity of the threat, these cultural disconnects can lead to serious security incidents.  It’s not all bad news, however — enterprises with effective incident response can save $1.5 million in breach and recovery costs compared to companies that don’t have incident response plans in place. 

Seven Best Practices for Endpoint Security Incident  Response 

While the specifics of security look different for every business, the basics remain the same. Here are seven best practices that can benefit any CXO team.

Explore All Endpoints

The first best practice for CXOs is identifying and exploring all endpoints. Put simply, you can’t protect what you can’t see — by taking stock of existing endpoints, enterprises can create a map of potential compromise points.

Once all endpoints are identified, the next step is exploring the impact if they are breached. This helps IT teams create priority lists for protection and makes it easier for CXOs to set effective budgets. For example, the Conversation Overflow attack mentioned above could prove disastrous if malicious actors gain access to C-suite email accounts. 

Educate Employees

The more employees know about endpoint security, the better. This is because security is no longer the purview of IT alone — instead, it’s a shared responsibility that requires effort from all staff to achieve success.

As a result, it’s worth educating employees on security basics such as spotting phishing emails, asking for confirmation, and reporting potential threats. To make this education effective, three components are critical.

First, companies need to create clear and consistent policies about reporting. What needs to be reported? When? How? By giving staff the tools and knowledge they need to report possible incidents, businesses can reduce their total risk.

Next, C-suites need to make it clear that reporting is a positive behavior and back this up with action. Many staff are afraid to report because they worry about getting in trouble for wasting time or being too cautious. To avoid this issue, set clear thresholds for reporting and make the process as easy as possible.

Finally, it’s critical to implement regular refresher and retraining programs. Attack methods are dynamic, not static, and security response must follow suit.

Assign Authority

If everyone is in charge, no one is in charge. Change the status quo by assigning a C-suite member (or members) to handle specific aspects of incident response. This not only helps with incident response planning but also makes it easier to implement plans in times of crisis. 

Why? Because crisis conditions create stress. Clear and focused task assignments let staff concentrate on what they need to do in the moment, rather than worrying about the big picture. 

Plan to Fail

Plans are perfect until they’re put into practice. No matter how much time and effort companies expend creating IR plans, reality is never a perfect match. As a result, CXOs need to consider what happens when plans fail. 

Consider an incident response plan that describes what staff should do when attacks are detected, what happens when compromise occurs, and how they can remediate systems after the attack. What this plan lacks is a contingency for when things go wrong. What if lead security staff are out sick or away from the office on the day of an attack? What if attacks spread more quickly than anticipated? What if new weak points are exposed?

By planning to fail, teams won’t be caught off guard when the unexpected happens. 

Test, Test, Test

While no incident response plan is perfect, CXOs can improve outcomes with regular testing. Testing provides the chance to try out different attack strategies to gauge their impact and familiarizes staff with the incident response process.

Think of it like muscle memory. The more a skill is practiced, the more natural it becomes. When the time comes to perform under stress, practice makes performance easier. 

Zero in on Zero Trust

Better to turn away a legitimate user than let a malicious actor through. This is the core concept of zero trust —  rather than assuming good intentions or authorized use, zero trust requires proof prior to access.

In practice, this means that the default answer to access requests is “no”, unless users can prove they are trustworthy. This might take the form of two-factor (or three, or more) authentication, or it might use a combination of user login credentials and behavioral data to help prove that users are who they say they are.

Don’t Go It Alone

Despite best efforts, it’s not possible for companies to secure endpoint environments on their own. From massive volumes of mobile endpoints to IoT-enabled devices to expanding cloud networks, CXOs are best served by bringing in expert assistance wherever possible and practical.

This approach could include assistance from AI-enabled security providers, the use of outsourced IT expertise to augment existing staff, or the deployment of advanced VPN solutions to protect data anytime, anywhere. 

Wrapping Up

Endpoints aren’t where security stops. Instead, they’re a jumping-off point for organizations to identify current challenges, enhance defensive postures, and improve incident response. By recognizing where current IR plans can’t keep pace and implementing best practices to address security shortfalls, CXOs can help build a security culture of shared responsibility.