Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) can reveal a lot more security weaknesses than your usual checks, showing you 30-50% more. However, it's not always a smooth process.
Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) is a proactive cybersecurity approach that helps organizations test and assess their security posture by simulating real-world cyberattacks. By continuously running automated attack scenarios, BAS tools mimic the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by malicious actors, allowing security teams to identify vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. This method provides an in-depth understanding of how well existing security measures can withstand different types of threats.
Three key benefits of BAS include enhanced risk management, where vulnerabilities are discovered and addressed early; improved incident response, as BAS helps teams refine their procedures for responding to attacks; and continuous security validation, which ensures that an organization's defenses are always up to date in the face of evolving threats. BAS enables businesses to stay ahead of cybercriminals and fortify their defenses, reducing the risk of a successful breach.
Despite the obvious benefits of BAS solutions in strengthening cybersecurity and resilience, organizations face a number of challenges in implementing them. Here are five main problems you might face:
1. Money and People: The Resource Challenge
BAS tools can be expensive, and you need skilled staff to use them effectively. This is a real struggle for many businesses, especially smaller ones. The cost of the tools, if not properly adjusted to your needs, can be a significant hurdle for SMEs. You also need experts to understand threats, analyse simulations, and make necessary changes, which many companies simply don't have in-house. To deal with this, consider using managed services or a mix of in-house and external help. Remember, many cyber attacks target small businesses, so it's important to make the most of your resources by focusing on critical areas, using automation, and connecting BAS with your other security tools.
2. Setting Up: The Tech Challenge
Setting up BAS tools can be tricky. You need to connect them smoothly with your existing systems, like SIEM, to get a clear view of your security. If they don't integrate well, you'll have dangerous gaps. This involves dealing with complex installation, ensuring connections with other systems, and making sure everything is compatible with your different computers and setups. Using automation and getting expert help can solve these problems. As Michelle Abraham from IDC says, "BAS helps security people be more proactive." Managed service providers can give you expert advice and help with the setup.
3. Too Many Alerts: Dealing with False Alarms
False alerts waste a lot of time and affect team morale. 72% of companies report losing time because of them, and 62% say it negatively impacts their teams. This means your security teams might spend more time dealing with false alerts than real threats, causing you to miss actual dangers. Modern tools with machine learning are helping to reduce these false alerts. To fix this, centralise your data, use behaviour analysis, and automate your responses. Managed services can also help adjust your systems to minimise false alarms.
4. Changing Threats: Keeping Up
Keeping your BAS simulations up-to-date is difficult because threats change so rapidly. Companies with poor patching are much more likely to get ransomware, and many connected devices have known vulnerabilities. This involves dealing with new attacks that emerge constantly and ensuring complex connections between your security tools continue to work. To stay ahead, you need to adjust your simulations, update your settings, improve your defences, and use the data to train your team. Regular updates are crucial, and you might want to consider services that provide updated threat information.
5. Business Problems: Avoiding Disruptions
BAS should not cause disruptions, but bad planning can lead to delays and other issues. To reduce these risks, run BAS in test environments, do it during quiet times, and use the results to fix problems quickly. Modern BAS tools have built-in safety features to minimise disruptions.
The Main Point: Making BAS Work
To use BAS effectively, plan carefully and integrate it with your existing security systems. If you have limited resources or technical problems, getting expert help is a smart move. Success depends on regular updates, team training, and balancing security with your business operations. By addressing these challenges, you can use BAS to significantly improve your security.
