• Cybersecurity Protection is putting security measures and tools in place to prevent unauthorized access to your systems and network. It includes using EDR, firewalls, VPNs, and staff training to defend against cyber-attacks.
  
• Continuation of Normal Business is the point at which an organization is operating normally after a security incident or can continue operating during an incident. This includes the time it takes to restore all systems from backups.
  
• Adaptability refers to how easily the organization can defend against ever evolving and changing cyber-attacks. The more adaptable an organization is, the more cyber resilient it is.

Achieving cyber resiliency is like seeing a city on a map – you know where it is, but the important question is, how do you get there?

We hope these 6 Steps to Cyber Resiliency can help your organization become more business resilient:

1. Plan
   Create an incident response team and response plan, test your security, and practice, practice, practice what to do in the event of a security incident.
   
2. Protect
   Put cybersecurity tools in place, such as EDR, SIEM, and firewalls to create a defense system that can withstand most cyber threats your organization may face.
   
3. Defend
   With an active cybersecurity framework established, your security tools can defend your business against most security threats and disruptive events and allow you to keep operating during an incident.
   
4. Restore
   Have a plan and safety measures in place to restore your critical and non-critical business systems from on-site, offsite, or cloud-based data backups.
   
5. Observe & Analyze
   Implement software tools that report, log, and repel cyber treats in real-time. These tools rely on machine learning, artificial intelligence, and automated threat hunting and can learn and adapt to prevent future cyber threats.
   
6. Adapt
   Always assess your threat-readiness and cybersecurity protection to maintain normal operations now, and in the future.

Cyber resiliency takes work but is essential for business survival in the information age. It’s also important to know that it’s OK to ask for help!

Fortress Security Risk Management is a global data protection company that helps organizations dramatically minimize their risk of disruption from unforeseen events like cyber-attacks and data breaches by providing industry-best cybersecurity services to prepare your organization to be cyber resilient. Our goal is to help every client secure their future with the highest degree of security and the least amount of risk.

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Pre-M&A Cybersecurity

During the investigatory or planning stages of a merger or acquisition, before the plans are set in motion, your organization should perform a complete security program and vulnerability assessment. This should be done by your in-house security team, or if you don’t have the internal resources, an outside cybersecurity consultant should be brought in.

Your security assessment will identify gaps in your Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan, determine if your network is secure from intrusion, and most importantly, verify that a cybercriminal hasn’t already infiltrated your network, because if they have, they will almost certainly exploit your M&A for their own gain.

It is also important to understand that normal M&A activity can tip off cybercriminals. A few actions that can call attention to a merger and acquisition:

• Posting jobs that require previous M&A experience
• Securing funding from investors to boost financial strength
• Reports from industry analysts that predict future M&A activity

 Sophisticated cybercriminals will watch for these types of behaviors to identify targets so your organization needs to be vigilant to protect itself. This is also a good time to train company executives to not fall for spear phishing or malware attacks and to refrain from using unsecured networks or personal email to discuss details of the proposed transaction. Once a cybercriminal gains access to your network, they can expose the potential deal earlier than you intended, or derail it all together with a ransomware attack.

Cybersecurity awareness applies to both buying and selling companies, and both need to do their best to ensure their network environments are free of uninvited hackers, waiting for the right time to attack.

In-Process M&A Cybersecurity

Accomplished cybercriminals watch for telltale M&A behavior while it is in process.

Changes in marketing behavior is a sign that a company may be exploring an acquisition or is positioning itself to be acquired. Sudden decreases in advertising and PR and slower product introductions and rollouts can alert a trained eye to an impending deal. Staff reductions to inflate profitability is another tell, and cybercriminals may phish former employees to confirm their theories and acquire valuable data and / or network access.

During a M&A due diligence period, the buying and selling companies exchange a great deal of information, which provides cybercriminals many opportunities to intercept and steal data. Employees of both companies may also be hit with spear phishing attempts that allow a bad actor access to network assets.

While negotiations are happening, company executives are especially susceptible to an attack. Organizations with poorly secured endpoints, like laptops and smartphones, or an executive using unsecured public Wi-Fi or their own device to review documents while they travel, are exposing high-value data to potential thieves.

Post M&A Cybersecurity

The largest risk after a M&A has been announced are employees that fear their jobs will be eliminated or drastically changed. They may steal sensitive company data, or inadvertently leak it, and are vulnerable to phishing and social engineering attempts by a cybercriminal to gain access, or deeper access, to the network environment.

Once the two companies are one, the risk is twice as great because a larger company, still integrating technologies, give cybercriminals a larger opening through which to enter. Board members and Leadership of both companies should give secure technology integrations a high priority, both during the process and after the deal is closed.

Putting it All Together

Cyber-attacks can have disastrous effects on a merger or acquisition. In 2016, Abbott acquired a medical device manufacturer and had to recall 500,000 pacemakers because of a hacking risk. Also in 2016, Marriott International acquired Starwood for $13.6 billion, only to learn about a cyber-attack that exposed sensitive personal data of nearly 500 million customers; a liability that could cost the company up to $1 billion in legal expenses and regulatory fines.

Cybersecurity vigilance is needed throughout the entire M&A process. Cybercriminals can take advantage of individuals’ behaviors, unintentional clues, and network vulnerabilities to create cyber risk. Organizations that are especially cautious and cyber mature through every step of the process, will undoubtably mitigate the risks associated with cybercrime during a M&A.

Mergers and acquisitions are difficult enough to navigate, but when a cyber-attack happens to either company, the results can be disastrous. If you are exploring a M&A and would like to have a confidential conversation with one of our cybersecurity experts to improve your cybersecurity readiness, simply complete the form below – we’re here to help!

Fortress Security Risk Management is a global data protection company that helps organizations dramatically minimize their risk of disruption from unforeseen events like cyber-attacks and data breaches. Our goal is to help every client achieve the highest degree of security and the least amount of risk their organization can afford, or what we call, SecurityCertainty^SM.

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