Systems Criticality
Understanding the criticality of a system within the organization is essential for effectively prioritizing security efforts. Not all systems carry the same level of risk or impact, and security resources should be allocated accordingly. For example, a high-severity vulnerability in a low-risk internal project may warrant less urgency than a medium-severity vulnerability in a publicly exposed service responsible for user authentication. By aligning vulnerability prioritization with system criticality, organizations can focus remediation efforts where they matter most and reduce overall risk more effectively.
Outcome
- Define the most critical applications for the organization (Crown Jewels)
- Assign a criticality score to other systems used in the organization according to their impact to the business, preferably in assets inventory
- A process is in place to periodically review this classification
- Identify and classify projects that are required for the organization to operate on a daily basis.
Metrics
- Percentage of projects reviewed and classified
- Top high criticality projects
- Number of disruptive systems (systems that if fail would disrupt the organization's operations)
Tools & Resources
- TBD (Free)