4. May 2026

Cyber Security Foundations

Cyber Security Foundations

In today’s fast-moving world, technology evolves more rapidly than anyone envisaged even a few years ago. 

It’s now best practice to regularly review the status of Cyber Security resilience in businesses especially those in higher risk sectors such as healthcare, financial services, critical infrastructure and consumer facing markets with sensitive data. 

CISO and DPO are experts that create systematic reviews of Cyber Security & Data Protection foundations and provide a risk rated gaps analysis with remediation recommendations. 

Typically, areas to cover include;      

1. Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC)

• Leadership & Ownership
• Security Frameworks
• Policies & Procedures
• Risk Management
• Cyber Liability Insurance
• Employee Training

2. Data Privacy & Protection

• Data Mapping
• Regulatory Compliance
• Encryption
• Data Retention

3. Technical Controls & Infrastructure.

• Asset Inventory.
• Identity & Access Management 
• Network Security
• Endpoint Protection

4. Application & Product Security

• Secure SDLC
• Vulnerability Management
• Penetration Testing.
• Open-Source Software

5. Incident Response & Business Resilience

• Incident Response Plan
• Breach History
• Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery 
• Backups

6. Third-Party & Vendor Risk

• Vendor Inventory
• Risk Assessments

Reporting 

Outputs should include a detailed report that highlights areas of improvement that can be addressed based on appropriate risks and cost benefit. Reports being tailored to the business and usually will include a traffic light report, (red, amber, green) allowing easier focus on priority areas with remediation options.