Continuous monitoring and improvement.
Continuous monitoring is a Lean model strategy that can be kind of difficult and abstract to define. But, with a specific product or development process, a continuous improvement and monitoring model can be a real boon to any project.
In the Lean model, continuous improvement seeks to improve every process in the project and company, focusing on monitoring the activities that generate the most value for the customer and removing any wasteful practices.
The three key areas of this are waste, unevenness and overburden.
Continuous monitoring and improvement within a security setting will also do exactly this. It constantly monitors IT systems and networks that present a threat and reports on performance issues and non-compliance problems.
Since security is always a shifting goalpost, with new threats potentially disrupting entire systems, improvement has to occur in order to fend off these threats. But, if the strategy for product development is well formulated, the monitoring for risks and improving them shouldn’t include any hurdles too big for the customer to overcome. The product needs to be secure and detect problems but also work to its full potential.
Why would you want continuous monitoring and improvement?
Continuous monitoring and improvement process ensures that the cloud environment remains secure and compliant with regulatory and industry standards.
More than that, with the increasing complexity of IT systems and the growing number of threats, it is essential to have a proactive approach to security that involves ongoing monitoring and improvement. By creating a continuous monitoring and improvement process for cloud security, any company can quickly identify and respond to security threats, maintain compliance with regulatory and industry standards, and continuously improve the security posture of their cloud environment.
How does continuous monitoring and improvement work?
A proper security model, in order to maintain maximum observability and actionable outcomes, should prioritize the following:
- Establishing a baseline of the current security position for the cloud environment.
- Setting up continuous monitoring systems and tools to detect and respond to security threats in real-time.
- Establishing regular security assessments and audits to identify areas for improvement and to ensure compliance with regulatory and industry standards.
- Implementing a process for continuous improvement that involves regular reviews and updates of security policies and procedures.
- Regular employee training and education that ensures everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in maintaining security.
- Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of the continuous monitoring and improvement process.
- Using data analytics and automation to streamline the continuous monitoring and improvement process.
- Establishing a process for identifying and responding to security incidents in real-time.
- Using a risk-based approach to prioritize security efforts and allocate resources effectively.
- Continuous monitoring and evaluating of the effectiveness of the continuous monitoring and improvement process, and making improvements as needed.
The value of continuous monitoring and improvement
To sum up, a continuous monitoring and improvement process for cloud security can quickly identify and respond to security threats, maintain compliance with regulatory and industry standards, and continuously improve the security posture of our cloud environment. These traits help keep hold of customer trust, differentiate a product from its less secure competitors, and ultimately drive business growth and success.
Sometimes, a secure product goes unnoticed, but security breaches do get picked up on in a bad way. If it inconveniences a project timeline or customer experience slightly, security should still be prioritized because of the implications inherent in not observing and improving upon security measures.
Main advantages of continuous monitoring and improvement
- Enables real-time visibility and detection of security threats and vulnerabilities
- Helps prevent security breaches and data loss
- Improves overall security posture of the organization
- Enhances compliance with security regulations and standards
- Enables rapid incident response and remediation
- Facilitates continuous improvement of security controls and processes.
A common user story
“As a Product Manager, we want to create a continuous monitoring and improvement process for cloud security to ensure that our cloud environment remains secure and compliant with regulatory and industry standards. By establishing a baseline of the current security posture, setting up continuous monitoring systems and tools, establishing regular security assessments and audits, and implementing a process for continuous improvement that involves regular reviews and updates of security policies and procedures and ongoing employee training and education, we can quickly identify and respond to security threats, maintain compliance, and continuously improve the security posture of our cloud environment. This can help us keep our customers' trust, differentiate ourselves from competitors, and ultimately drive business growth and success.”
Any questions?
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