There's no denying that cyber-attacks are one of the biggest threats to businesses today. From phishing and malware to ransomware and DDoS attacks, the list of potential risks is seemingly endless. And with the frequency and sophistication of attacks on the rise, it's becoming more and more difficult for businesses to keep up, especially if they don't have the capital or the resources to invest in a robust cybersecurity infrastructure.
It's no surprise then, that SMBs are some of the most vulnerable to attack. In fact, 43% of all cyber-attacks are aimed at small and medium-sized businesses, according to an Accenture report. In order to combat this issue, SMBs have been turning to vCISO services to gain access to the expertise and guidance they need to build and maintain a strong cybersecurity posture.
However, as demand grows for these service providers, so too does the need for a new kind of vCISO - one that is powered by artificial intelligence (AI). And that's where Cynomi comes in.
Meet Cynomi
Cynomi is a cybersecurity startup based out of Tel Aviv that has developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) solution to help vCISOs and other security professionals better manage their organizations' cybersecurity risks.
Cynomi's platform removes the human component and instead uses AI technology to emulate a human CISO and automate previously manual operations. In turn, this allows vCISOs to scale their operations without sacrificing quality or accuracy and ultimately provides them with more time to focus on strategic initiatives.
What is a vCISO?
A vCISO is a virtual Chief Information Security Officer. This is someone who provides cybersecurity consulting and guidance to organizations, typically on a contract basis. vCISOs are often used by small and medium-sized businesses that don't have the resources to hire a full-time CISO. After all, the average annual compensation for a full-time CISO ranges between $208,000 to $337,000, which is certainly not within the budget of most SMBs.
As a result, vCISOs have become an increasingly popular option for SMBs looking to get the expert guidance they need to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats. Even by the end of this year, Gartner predicts that 20% of SMEs will have a virtual CISO, up from less than 1% in 2021.
"SMBs and mid-market companies are at risk," explained CEO David Primor. "I realized after helping several companies that experienced cyber attacks that there was a big gap between organizations that have a CISO - and SMBs and SMEs that only have security tools, but no strategic management of their cybersecurity: including conducting periodic assessments, building a cybersecurity plan with action items and remediation tasks, build the right processes within the organization."
"Tools alone are not enough, and attackers take advantage of that. This is why more and more SMBs and SMEs are turning to managed service providers and professional services firms for vCISO services," he added.
Cynomi's core features and capabilities
Cynomi's platform is designed to help vCISOs and other security professionals automate manual tasks, improve efficiency, and ultimately free up time so they can scale effectively and provide true value to their clients. Let's take a look at some of the platform's key features.
Personalized security policies
Cynomi's platform automatically generates personalized security policies for each client based on their specific needs and requirements. These needs are determined by analyzing the client's business processes, data assets, regulatory requirements, and industry benchmarks, most of which are built through a series of proprietary questionnaires and scans the vCISO performs using the platform.
Actionable remediation task lists
Cynomi's proprietary AI algorithm generates a prioritized list of tasks that the vCISO can deliver to their client. This list is designed to help the client quickly and easily remediate any vulnerabilities or risks that have been identified. Each task is accompanied by a step-by-step guide to help the client complete it effectively.
Vulnerability and exploit gap analysis
Cynomi performs external scans to uncover critical vulnerabilities in externally visible IPs and URLs, including ports, protocols, encryption, websites, etc. This allows the vCISO to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the client's attack surface and identifies any gaps that could be exploited by attackers. In turn, the vCISO will then be able to recommend precise remediation tasks to help safeguard their client's data.
Customer-facing reports and dashboards
Cynomi's platform also offers vCISOs customizable reports and dashboards that they can share with their clients. This allows vCISOs and MSPs to provide branded, real-time, exportable status and progress reports to customer stakeholders, including operations and management. These reports highlight the current level of security, improvement trends, compliance gaps, and comparisons to industry benchmarks, allowing service providers to easily demonstrate the progress they assisted their clients in achieving.
Multitenancy
Lastly, Cynomi's platform is built on a multitenant architecture, which allows vCISOs and MSPs to manage multiple clients from a single instance of the platform. This not only saves time and resources, but it also allows vCISOs to provide a consistent level of service to all of their clients simultaneously.
In summary
Cynomi is a cutting-edge AI cybersecurity platform that helps vCISOs and other security professionals automate manual tasks, improve efficiency, and ultimately free up time so they can scale effectively and provide more value to their clients. By empowering vCISOs with the right tools and resources they need to be successful, Cynomi looks set to revolutionize the way cybersecurity is delivered (particularly to SMBs), making it more efficient and effective than ever before.
Over the coming months and years, it will be interesting to see how Cynomi develops and grows, and how it shapes the future of the cybersecurity industry as a whole. For now, though, it's safe to say that Cynomi is a welcome addition to the vCISO toolkit and one that is sure to make a positive impact on the industry.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of techtimes.com
