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How to Create a Cyber Defense Plan

Key Steps to Create a Cyber Defense Plan

Organizations should focus on preemptive and proactive strategies to create an effective cyber defense plan. According to Gartner, adopting preemptive and predictive defense technologies is crucial for threat disruption, simulation, and exposure management. This approach includes implementing automated moving target defense, threat simulation, and advanced deception technologies.

CISA recommends a three-pronged approach in its Cybersecurity Strategic Plan:

1. Address immediate threats by making it difficult for adversaries to achieve their goals.
2. Harden the terrain by adopting strong security and resilience practices.
3. Drive security at scale by prioritizing cybersecurity as a fundamental safety issue and demanding more from technology providers.

Key elements of a comprehensive cyber defense plan should include:

1. Implementing a zero-trust program, which Gartner predicts 10% of large organizations will have in place by 2026.
2. Adopting human-centric design practices to minimize operational friction and maximize control adoption.
3. Aligning with federal guidelines and frameworks, such as CISA's Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) Operational Cybersecurity Alignment (FOCAL) Plan.
4. Incorporating international collaboration and information sharing, as outlined in CISA's International Strategic Plan.

Organizations can develop a robust cyber defense plan that addresses current and emerging threats by focusing on these elements and following guidance from reputable sources like Gartner and CISA.

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