The digital risks environment is expanding as firms depend more on IT and computer networks to do business, subjecting business environments to new significant threats. Cyber threats endanger businesses by causing negative disruptions to daily business operations. Systems could fail to work or sensitive data get into the wrong hands. Businesses can use cybersecurity vulnerability assessments to better identify, monitor, and prevent all types of cyber threats. It’s an important part of your threat management framework and data security activities.
Contents
- 1 Security Report Templates
- 2 What is a cyber security report?
- 3 Security Report Examples
- 4 Importance of security reporting
- 5 Types of network security
- 6 Security Report Samples
- 7 How do I create a cyber security report?
- 8 Cybersecurity Report Templates
- 9 How do you write a security report?
- 9.1 Determine information value
- 9.2 Identify the assets and prioritize them
- 9.3 Identify the cyber threats you have
- 9.4 Identify any vulnerabilities
- 9.5 What controls are there and the new controls that need to be implemented
- 9.6 Impact of various scenarios on an annual basis
- 9.7 List the risks in terms of priorities
- 9.8 Document the findings
Security Report Templates
What is a cyber security report?
A cybersecurity report contains vital details regarding cybersecurity issues, vulnerabilities in the digital environment, safety controls weaknesses, and security program effectiveness.
Cybersecurity reports aid in the development of data-driven communications amongst boards, managers, security and threat leaders, and security professionals. It ensures that all stakeholders are cooperating closely to improve security systems and reduce risk.
Security Report Examples
Importance of security reporting
Currently, every stakeholder in a business is aware of cybersecurity and its role in the business environment. Company boards are becoming more concerned with business data privacy and systems security.
The IT department can no longer work alone in managing security systems, but everyone, especially the management and board, must come in to give support. A cybersecurity report must be quantifiable and give details about the possible risks that could affect the business objectives, disrupt its strategies, or overwhelm its risk tolerance.
Types of network security
Security threat to businesses is the worst type of threat businesses are dealing with lately. One of the measures that are helping businesses protect their systems is network security. which helps keep data integrity and usability secure across the network. It identifies possible threats and prevents them from accessing the network. There are different types of network security.
Network access control
In a business with a large network and users, multiple devices can be used to access its network. Without control, unauthorized devices can be used to access the network and cause significant threats.
Network access control keeps network access in check. This network control identifies which devices are authorized to access the network and gives them access while blocking those that are not authorized. If someone with an authorized device tries to do a malicious activity, this network control will detect and block them.
Wireless security
Remote working is becoming the norm in every business. Due to this, businesses have created wireless access points and networks. Remote access is prone to attacks and this is where wireless security comes in. It ensures data is not hacked when moving it between the main servers to the remote access point and back.
Applications security
Applications today are like the heart that pushes a business forward. They help businesses perform complex tasks or connect remotely with their customers. Apps help customers access their accounts and do transactions from the comfort of their homes. Regardless of their importance, they are prone to attacks. Application security helps protect them.
Email security
Emails are used for marketing and communication. They are at higher risks from attackers who might send false emails or redirect to malware sites. Email security helps block such threats or attacks.
Antivirus and anti-malware security
Viruses attack files and software, which slows down the system or grounds it. Malware can bring a business system to a standstill for weeks. The antivirus and anti-malware software helps keep the system/documents safe.
Security Report Samples
How do I create a cyber security report?
First, you must understand three main things
- The kind of data you have
- The infrastructure you have
- The data value you want to protect.
Have ready with you a cybersecurity report template to help you begin writing the report. You will find detailed security report examples online that will help you create the structure correctly.
You may ask yourself further questions to help you audit your data.
- What different types of data does the business collect
- How is this data stored?
- Where is it stored
- How can the business protect its data?
- For how long is the data kept
- How is it accessed both internally and externally?
- If the storage secure
- Are there any breaches
- Who is permitted access?
You may find more questions in your security report sample that you can add to your list of questions. Some security report examples might be detailed but you have to determine what will work for your business and adapt it while ignoring what will not work. Using the cybersecurity report template, begin to write your security report.
Cybersecurity Report Templates
How do you write a security report?
You can create your unique security report template or download a cybersecurity report template online. The following information is important in your security report.
Determine information value
You can have a wide scope of the information you want to provide but it might not be entirely valuable to the business. When the information scope is too wide, it might only add cost to the business. Companies work with budgets and you should not disrupt it due to lengthy reports and recommendations.
Choose what is valuable at the moment and ignore the rest. Since you are writing a security report, make sure it is secure. If the report is leaked, you will be risking the company’s sensitive data.
Identify the assets and prioritize them
The business might have a wide range of assets that require protection. However, not every asset is a priority. If you perform a risk assessment for each asset, it might take a long time before your complete it. Create a list of what is important to be reported on. For example
- Interfaces
- Applications
- Data
- IT architecture
- Storage security
- Hardware security
- Remote access security
- Information flow
Identify the cyber threats you have
Cyberthreats are the vulnerabilities the business might have in terms of internal attacks, external threats, and human errors. Here are some of the important threats.
Human errors: Your workers or a third-party having access to the system can cause fatal errors that can cost the company losses. If they are not well educated on issues of cyber security, someone can unknowingly open a malware link that can bring the entire system to a standstill. Identify the risks that can be caused by human error and the mitigation measures.
Data leaks: The security system might not be tight enough, leading to data leaks. Important business data can be found in the public domain, which can threaten the integrity of the business.
Unauthorized access: Unauthorized access could be due to password theft, malware attacks, employee involvement, or hackers.
Natural or man-made disasters: Business data can be threatened by natural or human disasters. Lightning might strike, fire, floods, hurricanes, bombings, etc. Without proper data backup, all company data can be lost in one incidence.
Failed system: The business system might fail not due to cyber-attacks but due to network connections, hardware challenges, bottleneck problems, etc. This is a potential threat that needs to be reported.
Identify any vulnerabilities
After completing your report on the security threats that might happen to the business, move on to the likelihood of them happening. Even if they could happen, the security systems can be strong enough to prevent them from happening. However, even with a strong security system, there is still a possibility that they can happen.
What you require to do is vulnerability analysis to test the system and determine how possible it is for threats to happen. You will test the system weaknesses and then make a complete report.
What controls are there and the new controls that need to be implemented
Controls are put in place to detour any possibility of threats happening. Nevertheless, if the controls are weak and vulnerable, there should be plans to implement new ones. New controls could be in terms of new hardware, a change of software, data encryption, new security policies, new ways to detect leaks, etc.
Impact of various scenarios on an annual basis
Your next issue will be to identify the various scenarios under which the threats might happen. At this point, you have to go beyond looking at the likelihood of a threat happening and look at its impact if it happens.
The questions you might be asking yourself are – can it happen and if it happens, how far would the consequences go? This is what will help to determine in your report the value of investment your need to mitigate such scenarios. You must also recall the value of the business currently and forecast how that value would be affected if a threat became real.
List the risks in terms of priorities
Some departments or infrastructures are at a higher risk if a threat happed. Figure out how much it would cost the company to correct a risk if it happened. If correction measures cost more than the asset value, it will not be worth it.
However, the asset could have a bigger impact in terms of business reputation. If the effect on reputation is bigger, then it’s worth spending more to correct, even if its value is less.
Document the findings
Finish your report by documenting everything and then present it to the management to read it. Discuss it and recommend. Do not copy information from the security report example you downloaded. Its purpose is to guide you during the investigations and to report.
