Get your CPA firm aquainted with new FTC rules. What is Technical Debt?
What is cybersecurity technical debt, who owns it in an organization, is it capitalizable, what happens when it increases, how is it measured, and how do the different types affect cybersecurity?
As in software development, cybersecurity technical debt results from the sacrifice or imperfect fulfillment of requirements. When faced with a deadline, employees may fail to complete certain requirements in a project in exchange for short-term expediency. However, quick fixes, compromises, and suboptimal solutions can accumulate over time and impact performance, scalability, resilience, or other similar system characteristics.
Technical debt in cybersecurity results from a confluence of improper settings, outdated security protocols, unpatched vulnerabilities, and legacy systems and configurations. Your insufficient allocation of resources to cybersecurity initiatives can also contribute to technical debt.
While not all technical debt is immediately negative, over time, it can introduce weakened defenses and opportunities for malicious threat actors. Cutting corners in the hustle of your business processes is not worth it. If you let technical debt expand, you may experience prolonged response times to security incidents and heightened risks of non-compliance with regulatory requirements.
If your organization’s eyes are not on the future, an easy or limited solution to cyber can be an open door.
Types of Technical Debt and Their Effects on Cybersecurity
As in software development, cybersecurity technical debt can be classified into three main types: deliberate, accidental/outdated design, and bit rot.
Deliberate Technical Debt
Deliberate technical debt in cybersecurity arises when decisions are consciously made to prioritize speed or convenience over robust security practices. This can include shortcuts, bypassing security measures, or delaying essential updates in the name of expedited development. Security patches and updates are often deferred, exposing the organization to zero-day exploits that target known vulnerabilities. The consequences of deliberate technical debt can be severe, as it expands the attack surface and introduces vulnerabilities that malicious actors can exploit.
Examples of Deliberate Technical Debt
Bad Example: Deliberately postponing security updates or neglecting secure coding practices to meet tight deadlines, leading to easily exploitable vulnerabilities.
Good Example: Proactively implementing temporary security measures during an emergency to keep systems operational, with a plan to address them properly in the near future.
Accidental/Outdated Design
Accidental or outdated design technical debt occurs when systems are built on architectures or frameworks that are later discovered to have inherent security flaws. Over time, these flaws become more pronounced as cybersecurity threats evolve, leaving organizations with outdated and vulnerable infrastructure. Outdated designs may lack essential security features, making it easier for attackers to infiltrate and compromise systems. In the face of evolving threats, systems with outdated designs struggle to adapt, leaving organizations exposed to emerging cyber risks.
Examples of Accidental or Outdated Technical Debt
Bad Example: Using outdated cryptographic algorithms in a system that handles sensitive data, exposing it to vulnerabilities.
Good Example: Adopting a new technology quickly to meet business needs, but with a roadmap to update and secure it based on evolving security standards.
Bit Rot Technical Debt
Bit rot refers to the gradual deterioration of software and hardware over time, resulting in a decay of performance and functionality. In cybersecurity, bit rot technical debt emerges as systems age, and the cumulative effects of neglect, outdated software, and deprecated hardware become apparent. As systems degrade, their ability to detect and respond to security incidents diminishes, impacting the overall effectiveness of cybersecurity measures.
Examples of Bit Rot Technical Debt
Bad Example: Failing to update and patch systems over time, leading to obsolete software versions and unaddressed vulnerabilities.
Good Example: Regularly maintaining and updating systems to ensure they remain secure and resilient against evolving cyber threats.
Measuring Technical Debt
Measuring technical debt in the context of cybersecurity involves assessing the state of security practices, infrastructure, and processes within an organization. Cybersecurity professionals rely on various indicators and assessments to gauge the level of security-related technical debt. Here are several aspects and methods used to measure technical debt in cybersecurity:
Vulnerability Assessments: Regular vulnerability assessments are fundamental to measuring technical debt in cybersecurity. Identifying and quantifying vulnerabilities in systems, applications, and networks provide insights into the security posture and potential areas of technical debt.
Penetration Testing: Penetration testing, or ethical hacking, involves simulating cyberattacks to identify weaknesses in a system’s security. The findings from penetration tests can reveal the existence of technical debt in the form of unpatched vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, or other security flaws.
Security Patch Management: Monitoring the timely application of security patches is crucial for measuring technical debt. The presence of outdated software or unpatched systems increases the risk of exploitation, and the patching cadence can indicate the organization’s ability to manage technical debt.
Security Hygiene Metrics: Tracking security hygiene metrics, such as the frequency of password changes, adherence to password policies, and the use of multi-factor authentication, provides insights into the organization’s commitment to security best practices.
Incident Response Metrics: Examining the effectiveness and efficiency of incident response processes can highlight technical debt. Metrics such as time to detect and time to remediate security incidents indicate the organization’s readiness to respond to cyber threats.
Compliance and Regulatory Metrics: Compliance with industry regulations and standards (e.g., PCI-DSS, GDPR, HIPAA, ISO 27001, FTC) often involves adhering to specific security practices. The presence of non-compliance or difficulties in meeting regulatory requirements can be indicative of technical debt.
Security Awareness Training Metrics: Assessing the effectiveness of security awareness training programs helps gauge the human factor in cybersecurity. Metrics related to employee awareness, adherence to security policies, and response to simulated phishing attacks reveal potential technical debt in the form of gaps in cybersecurity education.
Network Traffic Analysis: Monitoring network traffic for anomalies, unauthorized access, or unusual patterns can identify potential security issues. Unusual network behavior may indicate technical debt in the form of insecure configurations or compromised systems.
Asset Inventory and Management: Maintaining an up-to-date inventory of assets, including hardware, software, and devices, is essential for measuring technical debt. Outdated or unmanaged assets can introduce vulnerabilities and increase the organization’s exposure to cyber threats.
Mitigating the Impact of Technical Debt
To mitigate the impact of deliberate, accidental/outdated design and bit rot technical debt on your cybersecurity, your organization must adopt a proactive and strategic approach:
Regular Audits and Assessments: Periodic vulnerability assessments and security audits help identify and address technical debt.
Adopting Secure Development Practices: Integrating security into the development lifecycle reduces the accumulation of deliberate technical debt.
Continuous Monitoring and Incident Response: Vigilant monitoring and efficient incident response capabilities mitigate the impact of technical debt on cybersecurity.
Cyber Hygiene, Education, and Training: Cyber hygiene is essential for a robust cybersecurity posture, and employee education in cyber hygiene should play a part in establishing and fostering a cybersecurity-aware culture within your organization. Education must be continual so that your organization can stay on top of threats. This helps reduce deliberate technical debt by emphasizing the importance of security practices.
Ownership and Capitalization
You may ask who is responsible for technical debt in your organization. Technical debt in cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. Your various stakeholders, including IT and security teams, developers, and management, play crucial roles in identifying, addressing, and managing technical debt. The entire organization is accountable for ensuring a comprehensive and coordinated approach to cyber.
Unlike traditional financial debt, technical debt in cybersecurity is not considered a capitalizable asset. It is recognized as a potential risk and liability that demands proactive management rather than an investment and resource to be capitalized.
Conclusion
Because technical debt is a shared responsibility, your teams need to operate collectively and proactively. You must commit to, address, and recognize the different types of technical debt and show your customers that you are serious about cybersecurity. Cyber hygiene, employee education, and fostering a culture of security play a part.
Mitigating technical debt in cybersecurity is critical for organizations aiming to maintain a robust defense against cyber threats. Staying one step ahead is not a luxury; it’s a necessity.
