The fourth quarter is budgeting time for most companies. Equally, most security managers are gearing up to support their CISO with preparing the security budget for the upcoming year.

Security budgeting is an overlooked area in the cybersecurity industry. It’s also an overlooked skill set when hiring and training cybersecurity executives. Yet, it is a crucial aspect of managing a cybersecurity program. Cybersecurity budgeting rests at the crossroads between cybersecurity (as a discipline) and business.

In the first post of our Azure Sentinel lab-building series, we learned how to deploy a team lab in a fully automated manner. Using Azure Bicep, it was possible to automatically provision a lab that included a Sentinel SIEM alongside a configurable number of virtual machines. Moreover, the lab included a Sysmon-based solution allowing users to create detection analytics targeting real-life adversary behaviours. Finally, the lab could be deployed and destroyed on-demand, helping save costs.

A vulnerability management policy is a key component of an Information Security Management System (ISMS). This is especially true for SaaS companies selling cloud products. Before buying such products, customers will seek proof that product security vulnerabilities are consistently managed.

While a vulnerability management policy, on its own, cannot offer bullet proof guarantees, it is still considered a must-have. Any customer needing assurance that proper vulnerability management practices are being followed by suppliers will expect one.

To carry out business, today’s SaaS organisations must demonstrate some level of compliance with internationally recognised cybersecurity standards. For SaaS companies, ISO 27001 is the certification that is most requested by customers. Obtaining such certification allows companies to demonstrate a systematic approach to information security supported by a credible commitment to employ best practices and continuously improve.

To obtain the certification companies must put in place an Information Security Management System (ISMS) conforming to the ISO 27001 standard. For SaaS companies, creating a basic ISMS should not require large investments. Knowing how to obtain ISO 27001 efficiently and an understanding of what a minimal implementation looks like is all that is required.