Definition:

The term "Right of Boom" refers to the actions and response taken after a cybersecurity incident or attack has occurred. It contrasts with "Left of Boom," which encompasses measures taken before an attack to prevent or minimize its impact. "Boom" signifies the moment of breach or attack success. Addressing both "Left of Boom" and "Right of Boom" is crucial for effective security, as it minimizes both the likelihood and impact of successful attacks (via VMblog).

The term "Boom" refers to the moment of an explosion or, in cybersecurity terms, the moment of a successful cyber attack. The timeline before the "Boom" is what we call "Left of Boom," while the period after is known as "Right of Boom." Traditionally, most cybersecurity efforts have been focused on the Right of Boom — responding to and recovering from attacks. This includes measures like incident response, disaster recovery, and forensic analysis.

However, as the threat landscape continues to evolve, it's becoming clear that a reactive approach is no longer sufficient. This is where the concept of Left of Boom becomes critical. Left of Boom encompasses all the proactive measures taken to prevent and mitigate cyber threats before they materialize into full-blown attacks. This includes threat intelligence, vulnerability assessments, security awareness training, and implementing robust security controls and policies.

‍

Shifting Your Cybersecurity Focus: The Imperative of Addressing Left of Boom

‍

"We can never eliminate risk entirely, but we can manage it effectively with 'Left of Boom' processes and procedures. The primary job of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is to exercise continuous diligence in reducing risk, within the risk appetite and risk tolerance of the organization, so that the likelihood of a boom is low, and the corresponding magnitude of harm is limited. Achieving 'Left of Boom' cybersecurity is a journey on which every CISO should be embarked."

‍

Bruce Brody,

CISO Advisor at Cisco and former Director of the Public Sector Cybersecurity practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers

‍

In the rapidly evolving landscape of cybersecurity, the concept of "Left of Boom" is gaining significant traction among organizations. This military-derived term has found a pertinent application in the digital realm, especially as cyber threats continue to escalate in both sophistication and frequency. But what exactly does "Left of Boom" mean in the context of cybersecurity, and why is it becoming increasingly crucial for organizations to shift their focus and budget towards these measures?

‍

Why Balancing Left of Boom and Right of Boom is Crucial to Your Security Posture

• Proactive vs. Reactive: Waiting for an attack to happen before responding is akin to closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. By focusing on Left of Boom, organizations can identify and address vulnerabilities, detect threats early, and prevent potential breaches.
  

• Cost-Effective: The financial repercussions of a cyber attack can be staggering, including direct costs like ransom payments, legal fees, and regulatory fines, as well as indirect costs like reputational damage and loss of customer trust. Investing in proactive measures can significantly reduce the likelihood of these costly incidents.
  

• Compliance and Reputation: Regulatory bodies are increasingly mandating proactive cybersecurity measures. Demonstrating a commitment to robust security practices can enhance an organization's reputation and build trust with customers, partners, and stakeholders.
  

• Advanced Threat Landscape: Cyber attackers are continually advancing their tactics, techniques, and procedures. Organizations need to stay ahead of these threats by adopting a proactive stance that includes continuous monitoring, threat intelligence, and regular security assessments.
  

• Resilience: A strong focus on Left of Boom builds resilience. It ensures that an organization is not just equipped to handle attacks when they occur but is actively working to prevent them. This creates a more robust security posture that can adapt to the ever-changing threat environment.

‍

Shifting the Budget: A Strategic Move

Addressing the importance of Left of Boom initiatives isn’t just a strategic imperative; it’s also a financial one. Organizations need to reassess their cybersecurity budgets and allocate resources toward proactive measures. This doesn't mean neglecting Right of Boom activities, but it does mean moving toward a balanced approach that acknowledges the crucial nature of prevention and early detection.

Investing in technologies like AI-driven predictive threat intelligence, behavioural analysis, and robust encryption can enhance an organization's ability to stay ahead of threats. Similarly, allocating budget for regular security training and awareness programs for employees can significantly reduce the risk of human error, which is still the leading cause of security breaches.

‍

The Road Ahead

The journey to shifting focus Left of Boom won’t be without its challenges. It requires a cultural shift within organizations, where security is seen as a shared responsibility across all levels. It also demands a continuous investment in people, processes, and technology to stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape.

Here at SecLytics, we are convinced that as cyber threats continue to grow in complexity and frequency, the importance of focusing on Left of Boom measures also grows. By adopting a proactive approach to cybersecurity, organizations can not only prevent attacks but also build a resilient and robust security posture that can withstand the challenges of the digital age. The shift towards Left of Boom is not just a trend; it's a strategic necessity that will safeguard the future of organizations in an increasingly interconnected world.

‍

Truly Left of Boom — Augur Is Unique Proactive Protection

Continuing to focus solely on reactive cyber defense simply doesn’t make sense. It ignores everything we know about how threats propagate and addresses only the subset of known threats, leaving us permanently vulnerable to zero-day exploits and novel threats. Augur’s AI-powered predictive threat intelligence, which identifies the setup of cybercriminal infrastructure and lets you know what IPs you should block, is unique in its ability to protect against zero-day exploits and novel threats proactively.

Our smart behavioral prediction models identify and group threat actors based on patterns of activity. The platform can then predict the source of novel attacks up to 50 days out. We predict over 1 million IPs a year, and, at the time of prediction, these predictions are often +-90% unique compared to other leading threat data sources. 

Recently, Augur predicted major elements of the MOVEit,Solar Winds, Log4JShell, Colonial Pipeline and ProxyNotShell hacks months ahead of first reports.

‍

Get Zero-day Protection Today!

You can learn more about how Augur predicts the future here and how it solves real-world security problems here. If you want to talk to someone about how Augur’s predictive intelligence can improve your overall security posture, email us at augur@seclytics.com.

‍

Stay in The Loop

To stay up to date on all the latest SecLytics news and events, check out our blog or, even better, follow us on LinkedIn!

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍