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Building a Resilient Security Strategy for 2025

Nomad Security

Nomad Security

— 5 min read

The cybersecurity landscape evolves faster than ever. As 2025 unfolds, threats are more sophisticated, compliance demands are stricter, and businesses face increasing pressure to operate securely without disrupting innovation. For Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), building a resilient security strategy is not just an aspiration—it’s an imperative.

This guide provides a comprehensive framework for developing a robust cybersecurity program tailored to the challenges of 2025. We’ll explore high-level strategies for CISOs to delegate effectively, outline the technical work required, and provide cost expectations for key initiatives.

Why Resilience Matters More Than Ever

Cyber resilience is more than defending against attacks; it’s about ensuring that your business can continue to operate under adverse conditions. With threats like ransomware, supply chain breaches, and advanced persistent threats (APTs) on the rise, a resilient strategy allows organizations to:

  • Mitigate financial and reputational damage.
  • Maintain compliance with regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS.
  • Build customer trust by demonstrating a commitment to security and service reliability.

Let’s dive into the key components of a resilient security strategy and how to implement them effectively.

1. Establishing a Cybersecurity Foundation

Before addressing advanced tactics, ensure your organization has a strong foundation. This includes fundamental tools, policies, and training that protect your organization’s core assets.

Key Initiatives:

  1. Asset Management
    • Action: Identify, document, and automate configuration and control of assets throughout the entire organization
    • Technical Details: Select a tool that allows for central configuration management of enterprise assets such as SolarWinds and ManageEngine
    • Cost: $20 - $150 per seat depending on vendor, staff and asset counts
  2. Endpoint Protection
    • Action: Deploy and maintain endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions.
    • Technical Details: Choose tools that provide real-time monitoring, threat hunting, and automated responses (e.g., CrowdStrike, SentinelOne).
    • Cost: $50-$150 per endpoint annually, depending on the vendor and features.
  3. Access Management
    • Action: Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) and role-based access control (RBAC).
    • Technical Details: Use centralized identity providers like Okta or Azure AD. Some cloud providers offer centralized MFA out of the box.
    • Cost: MFA costs range from $3-$10 per user monthly.
  4. Security Awareness Training
    • Action: Educate employees on recognizing phishing attacks and social engineering tactics.
    • Technical Details: Use platforms like KnowBe4 or Cofense for simulated phishing campaigns.
    • Cost: $25-$50 per employee annually.
  5. Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR)
    • Action: Ensure robust backup and recovery procedures are in place to restore business operations with a balance between cost of the solution and recovery time.
    • Technical Details: Consider third-party cloud-based backup solutions such as Datto, Veeam, and Acronis
    • Cost: Expect to pay between $1-10 per GB monthly for comprehensive cloud-based backup services. Cold-storage backups offer a cheaper but less responsive data backup options.

2. Conducting Comprehensive Risk Assessments

Understanding your organization’s unique risks is critical. Regular risk assessments provide clarity on vulnerabilities and help prioritize efforts. For each organization, this will be different depending on your industry, customer-base, and national and local legal standards for data security. For example, strict adherence to the EU's GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) may apply for companies who do business in Europe and store customer data, while FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) will apply to entities who wish to do business with the United States Federal and State governments.

Below are the essentials to ensuring your company identifies and complies with the standards which apply in your situation.

Key Initiatives:

  1. Risk Identification and Prioritization
    • Action: Conduct an annual risk assessment using frameworks like NIST Cybersecurity Framework or ISO 27001.
    • Technical Details: Identify critical assets, assess threats, and evaluate existing controls.
    • Cost: $20,000-$50,000 for a professional assessment (internal or outsourced).
  2. Third-Party Risk Management
    • Action: Assess the security of vendors and partners.
    • Technical Details: Use third-party risk platforms like RiskRecon or SecurityScorecard.
    • Cost: $10,000-$30,000 annually.
  3. Continuous Vulnerability Assessment and Monitoring
    • Action: Establish policies, procedures, and standards for the organization to continuously conduct vulnerability scans, penetration tests, BDR dry-run exercises
    • Technical Details: Implement tools such as Tenable Nessus, Nexpose, and Qualys to scan the organization's assets regularly and identify new risks as they emerge to assist in your patch management program.
    • Cost: $3,000-$10,000 annually depending on license structure and organization size.

3. Enhancing Detection and Response Capabilities

Speed is critical in cybersecurity. The sooner you detect and respond to a threat, the less damage it can cause.

Key Initiatives:

  1. 24/7 Monitoring and Incident Response
    • Action: Partner with a Managed Detection and Response (MDR) provider.
    • Technical Details: Ensure the provider integrates with your SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) platform.
    • Cost: $75,000-$150,000 annually for an MDR service.
  2. Threat Intelligence
    • Action: Subscribe to threat intelligence feeds for real-time insights.
    • Technical Details: Integrate feeds into SIEMs like Splunk or Elastic.
    • Cost: $10,000-$50,000 annually.
  3. Incident Response Plan (IRP)
    • Action: Develop and test an IRP with tabletop exercises.
    • Technical Details: Focus on communication workflows, containment procedures, and recovery protocols.
    • Cost: $10,000-$30,000 annually for professional facilitation.
Call to Action: Need help building a proactive detection and response strategy? Reach out to Nomad Security for expert guidance and MDR services.

4. Investing in Advanced Security Technologies

Cutting-edge tools can give organizations an edge in defending against emerging threats.

Key Initiatives:

  1. Zero Trust Architecture
    • Action: Begin transitioning to a zero trust model.
    • Technical Details: Micro-segmentation, identity verification, and continuous monitoring.
    • Cost: Implementation can range from $100,000-$500,000, depending on the scope.
  2. Automation and Orchestration
    • Action: Automate repetitive tasks with SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) platforms.
    • Technical Details: Use platforms like Palo Alto’s Cortex XSOAR.
    • Cost: $50,000-$150,000 annually.
  3. Secure DevOps (DevSecOps)
    • Action: Integrate security into the software development lifecycle.
    • Technical Details: Tools like Snyk, GitLab Security, and Veracode can automate code analysis.
    • Cost: $10,000-$50,000 annually.

5. Fostering a Security-First Culture

Even the best tools fail without human cooperation. A security-first culture ensures everyone understands their role in protecting the organization.

Key Initiatives:

  1. Regular Training Programs
    • Action: Offer engaging, ongoing training.
    • Technical Details: Include gamified modules and frequent phishing simulations.
    • Cost: $25-$100 per employee annually.
  2. Empowering Leadership
    • Action: Involve leadership in cybersecurity initiatives to set the tone.
    • Technical Details: Host regular CISO-led briefings for executives.
    • Cost: Minimal internal cost.
  3. Feedback and Improvement Loops
    • Action: Encourage employees to report vulnerabilities and suggest improvements.
    • Technical Details: Use anonymous reporting tools to facilitate this.
    • Cost: $1,000-$5,000 annually for tools like Bugcrowd or HackerOne.

6. Continuous Compliance and Reporting

Meeting compliance standards is non-negotiable in 2025. Automate and streamline your compliance efforts.

Key Initiatives:

  1. Compliance Audits
    • Action: Schedule regular audits for frameworks like SOC 2, GDPR, or PCI-DSS.
    • Technical Details: Leverage tools like Vanta or Drata for automation.
    • Cost: $10,000-$50,000 annually, depending on the scope.
  2. Dashboard Reporting
    • Action: Create real-time dashboards for key security metrics.
    • Technical Details: Use BI tools like Tableau or Power BI.
    • Cost: $2,000-$10,000 annually.
Call to Action: Stay ahead of compliance challenges with Nomad Security’s expert audit and advisory services. Contact us today!

Conclusion

Building a resilient security strategy for 2025 requires a balanced approach: reinforcing the basics, adopting advanced technologies, and cultivating a security-conscious culture. While the initial investment may seem significant, the cost of neglecting security is far greater.

By following this guide, CISOs can create robust, adaptable strategies that protect their organizations from modern threats while enabling growth and innovation.

Call to Action: Ready to build your 2025 security strategy? Partner with Nomad Security for tailored solutions that meet your unique needs. Let’s secure your future together.

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