This piece delves into the valuable insights derived from Capametix ransomware assessments completed at today’s Infosecurity event. 

By analysing the data and considering its implications, we can explore strategies for organisations like yours to bolster their ransomware recovery efforts and enhance their overall security posture.

The self-assessment responses shed light on the current state of ransomware recovery capabilities across organisations. 

Let’s delve into some key findings. 

Offline, Encrypted Backups of Data: A robust 75% of respondents recognised the importance of offline, encrypted backups of data. This data security measure ensures that critical information remains protected from ransomware attacks. However, 25% of respondents either disagreed or were unsure about the effectiveness of this capability. This raises concerns about the potential vulnerability of their backup systems. Organisations should consider strengthening their backup practices by adopting secure, offline storage solutions and implementing robust encryption measures.

Regularly Updated “Golden Images”: Approximately 90% of participants agreed that maintaining regularly updated “golden images” of critical systems is vital for rapid system recovery. However, 10% either disagreed or were unsure about the significance of this capability. This indicates a potential gap in their disaster recovery strategies. Organisations should prioritize the creation and maintenance of up-to-date system images to minimise downtime and expedite recovery processes in the event of a ransomware incident.

Cyber Incident Response Plan: An overwhelming 95% of respondents acknowledged the importance of a well-defined cyber incident response plan. This demonstrates a growing awareness of the need for a structured and rehearsed approach to handling ransomware attacks. However, 5% either disagreed or had uncertainties about the significance of this capability. Organisations must focus on developing comprehensive incident response plans, including predefined roles and responsibilities, incident escalation procedures, and communication protocols, to effectively mitigate the impact of ransomware incidents.

We then need to think about applying the Insights i.e. creating strategies for enhanced resilience based on this data, organisation can implement the following strategies to strengthen their ransomware recovery capabilities

Our primary recommendation is to Foster a Culture of Security Awareness: With 80% of participants already implementing cybersecurity user awareness and training programmes, organisations should continue investing in education and training initiatives to enhance employee vigilance against ransomware threats. Regular security awareness sessions, simulated phishing exercises, and ongoing communication can empower employees to identify and report suspicious activities promptly.

Number two on our list is to Prioritize Vulnerability Management: Given that 70% of respondents conduct regular vulnerability scans and 65% ensure software and operating systems are up to date, organisations should maintain a proactive approach to vulnerability management. This includes timely patching, vulnerability remediation, and continuous monitoring to minimise the attack surface and mitigate the risk of ransomware infections.

Finishing our top three Strengthen Third-Party Relationships: Considering the increasing exploitation of trusted relationships by adversaries, organisations must assess the risk management and cybersecurity practices of their third-party partners and managed service providers (MSPs). By establishing robust contractual obligations, conducting regular audits, and promoting information sharing, organisations

 can enhance their overall resilience against ransomware attacks.

Having engaged with numerous companies at Infosecurity, the story has not changed or been proven incorrect at all. It is vital that you start Building Resilience Against Ransomware Threats because ransomware attacks will continue to evolve and pose significant challenges for organisations across all industries. 

By leveraging the insights obtained by LIMA and VMware, organisations can take proactive steps to enhance their ransomware recovery capabilities – strengthening offline backups, maintaining updated system images, developing comprehensive incident response plans, fostering a culture of security awareness, prioritising vulnerability management, and strengthening third-party relationships are all key strategies to enhance resilience against ransomware threats.

If you need any advice or support on your cyber posture, visit us at stand L50 or complete one of our assessments here. 

Why LIMA?

We are the strategic IT partner for the most ambitious organisations, we deliver insight-led IT services that focus on delivering tangible business outcomes whilst overcoming Business and IT challenges at the same time focusing on Resilience, Growth and Optimisation. LIMA.co.uk

About VMware

VMware is a leading provider of multi-cloud services for all apps, enabling digital innovation with enterprise control.

At the heart of everything we do lies the responsibility and the opportunity to build a sustainable, equitable and more secure future for all.​  VMware.com

For more information, please contact: enquiries@lima.co.uk

LIMA alongside VMware were busy at today’s Infosecurity helping numerous organisations review their Cybersecurity and Ransomware posture using the NIST-based security framework and Capametrix assessments.

With all the anonymised data gathered via Capametrix assessments, we can reveal intriguing insights into the current state of cybersecurity practices.

A Journey Through Cybersecurity Capabilities

Risk Assessment: One of the crucial aspects of cyber security is the ability to identify and document asset vulnerabilities. Our data revealed that only 40% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with this capability. This statistic highlights a significant challenge in accurately recognising potential vulnerabilities within enterprise systems. It is imperative for organisations to enhance their risk assessment practices and adopt robust methodologies to identify and document asset vulnerabilities effectively.

Information Protection Processes and Procedures: As data breaches continue to rise, protecting sensitive information has become paramount. Our analysis exposed a discrepancy in information protection processes and procedures. While 55% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with their ability to identify configurations posing potential risks, 30% of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed. This finding emphasises the need for organisations to adopt comprehensive measures to secure critical data effectively and bridge the gap in their information protection practices.

Analysis and Recommendations: Strengthening Cybersecurity Resilience

Bridging the Vulnerability Gap: The responses revealed that 65% of respondents expressed uncertainty regarding their ability to effectively identify and document asset vulnerabilities. This statistic underscores the need for organisations to invest in vulnerability management plans and prioritise regular vulnerability scans. By addressing this vulnerability gap, enterprises can proactively identify and mitigate potential risks, thereby strengthening their cybersecurity defences.

Fortifying Incident Response and Recovery: Cyber incidents pose a constant threat to organisations. While 70% of respondents acknowledged the importance of having response and recovery plans in place, 25% expressed disagreement or uncertainty. Improving incident response functions within an organisation and establishing incident alert thresholds are critical to an organisation’s ability to detect, respond to, and recover from cyber security incidents. Organisations should prioritise incident response training, conduct regular drills, and refine their incident response plans to enhance their resilience against cyber threats.

Charting the Path to Cybersecurity Excellence

It’s only been our first day at Infosecurity, however, the conversations we had have provided valuable insights into the current state of cybersecurity capabilities among organisations across industry.  The data revealed areas where companies excel and areas that require further attention. By aligning their cyber security practices with the NIST framework and adopting the recommended measures outlined in this blog, organisations can embark on a journey toward cybersecurity excellence. This includes mitigating risks, safeguarding critical assets, and effectively protecting against the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape.

If you need any advice or support on your cyber posture, visit us at stand L50 or complete one of our assessments here. 

Why LIMA?

We are the strategic IT partner for the most ambitious organisations, we deliver insight-led IT services that focus on delivering tangible business outcomes whilst overcoming Business and IT challenges at the same time focusing on Resilience, Growth and Optimisation. LIMA.co.uk

About VMware

VMware is a leading provider of multi-cloud services for all apps, enabling digital innovation with enterprise control.

At the heart of everything we do lies the responsibility and the opportunity to build a sustainable, equitable and more secure future for all.​  VMware.com

For more information, please contact: enquiries@lima.co.uk

Key points:

• LIMA to front VMware’s latest zero trust security solutions at Infosecurity
• VMware launches new network and security virtualisation and cloud DR recovery platforms
• Personalised cyber assessments offer business leaders journey to zero-trust IT estates
• Infosecurity runs from 20^th June at Excel, London

LIMA has been selected to showcase VMware’s zero-trust security solutions at Europe’s largest cyber security conference, Infosecurity.

“We are delighted to showcase our market-leading software-defined stack alongside LIMA at InfoSec 2023. VMware to this day remain a disruptive, engineering-led software company. With NSX Security as the focal point of an expansive and growing Networking and Security portfolio, we aspire to continue to push boundaries, innovate, and most importantly, keep our customers secure.

LIMA and VMware have a long-standing and highly successful relationship. It makes the world of difference for us, and our customers when we are working in lockstep with trustworthy, dependable, and highly skilled partners such as LIMA,” commented Scott McKinnon, Field CISO, VMware.

Central to LIMA’s consultative approach is insight-led assessments, which enable organisations to better understand how to improve their security posture. We encourage businesses to take the assessments in advance, or visit stand L50, to discuss their security challenges with technical experts from both VMware and LIMA.

“We are thrilled to partner with VMware for this prestigious event. It’s a great testament to LIMA’s capabilities and credentials as a security-focused MSP, with services spanning cyber, cloud services and modern workplace,” says Danny Masters, CEO, LIMA.

At the show, LIMA will be offering cyber assessments and delivering demonstrations of VMware’s Gartner-acclaimed advanced security (NSX) and Ransomware Recovery as a Service (RRaaS) platforms.

LIMA/VMware will be available at stand L50 between the 20^th and 22nd of June, at ExCel, London.

Why LIMA?

We are the strategic IT partner for the most ambitious organisations, we deliver insight-led IT services that focus on delivering tangible business outcomes whilst overcoming Business and IT challenges at the same time focusing on Resilience, Growth and Optimisation. LIMA.co.uk

About VMware

VMware is a leading provider of multi-cloud services for all apps, enabling digital innovation with enterprise control.

At the heart of everything we do lies the responsibility and the opportunity to build a sustainable, equitable and more secure future for all.​  VMware.com

For more information, please contact: enquiries@lima.co.uk

Meet our speakers | Top NHS CIO and VMware’s Chief Technologist feature in our exclusive NHS webinar

We’re delighted to introduce the expert speakers featuring in our exclusive Q&A webinar on Gloucestershire NHS Trust’s journey from IT laggard to award-winning digital aspirant.

Gloucestershire Hospitals’ large-scale digital transformation programme enabled the Trust to roll out an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system in five months, supported over 500 clinical systems and allowed 2000 people to transition to remote working, almost overnight.

Mark Hutchinson, Chief Digital and Information Officer at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Martin Hosken, Chief Technologist of Cloud Services at VMware will discuss how working with LIMA led to a successful digital transformation programme using VMware’s Cloud Foundation.

Meet the speakers

Mark Hutchinson joined Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust as the Chief Digital and Information Officer in October 2018. During his 22 years working in Acute NHS Hospitals, Mark has been involved in several ground-breaking projects delivering large scale, complex transformational projects.

Mark’s previous experience saw him implement England’s first Telemedicine system in Airedale NHS Trust, delivered electronic patient records at Salford Royal Foundation Trust (awarded Global Digital Exemplar status) and delivered the first electronic patient record at Wythenshawe Hospital.

Passionate about how well-implemented technology can improve the safety and reliability of patient care, Mark has most recently delivered the fastest UK implementation of an EPR system at Gloucestershire Hospitals.

Since becoming CDIO, he has championed investment in accelerating digital change. The success of Gloucestershire Hospitals’ digital transformation programme has accelerated the need for more agile access to systems, providing clinicians with live patient data whenever they need it and in turn ensuring that all patients receive the best care.

Their long-term aim is to provide agile and mobile computing experiences to colleagues to meet the expectations set with the implementation of their EPR, encouraging collaboration with colleagues across Gloucestershire’s health community and delivering better outcomes for all.

Mark’s achievements in Gloucestershire Hospitals include:

• Delivered the fastest implementation of an EPR system in the UK.
• Planned a clear roadmap to HIMSS level 7 in five years.
• Featured in the CIO Top 100 in 2020, shortlisted for HTN Leader of the Year 2020.
• Increased investment in digital and IT with board and executive support.
• Improvements in business intelligence and reporting, significant improvements in data quality.
• The rapid rollout of remote working capability during the pandemic.
• HTN award winner for Major Project Go Live (EPR) and Best use of Data (Covid-19 dashboard).

Martin Hosken is the Chief Technologist for Cloud Services at VMware. Having worked for VMware for over 7 years, Martin works at the evolution of VMware Cloud Services, the intersection where IT architecture, solution architecture and software development meet.

His primary focus is on cutting edge solutions in today’s complex cloud market and helping customers and partners prepare to make the most of the opportunities presented by emerging technology and software development practices.

His role leads on providing the intersection between research and development, engineering and sales functions helps organisations like the NHS deliver solutions that are innovative and align with their cloud strategy.

Martin is a double VMware certified design expert in Data Centre Virtualisation, Cloud Management and Automation. He has been awarded the annual VMware vExpert title for the past seven years. Amongst his achievements, Martin is an author of three books, dozens of papers, blogs and articles based on cloud technologies.

Register to hear from tech experts at our exclusive Q&A

Don’t forget to register your place for our exclusive Q&A with technology experts Mark Hutchinson and Martin Hosken. Click below to secure your virtual seat.

Can’t make the date? Don’t worry, simply register your interest in the event below and we’ll send you a copy of the recording and all of the supporting documents.

When: Tuesday 14 September 2021, 11.30am – 12.30pm.
Where: Click here to secure your virtual seat.

LIMA is an insight-led, strategic IT partner with vast experience in supporting NHS Trusts for the past 10 years on digital transformation programmes that enable resilience, optimisation and growth. Click here to speak to one of our Account Directors to find out more.