Cybersecurity Controls: How They Impact Incident Outcomes
▼ Summary
– Incident response planning, including tabletop exercises and red-team tests, significantly reduces breach likelihood and drives secondary security benefits.
– Endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools show increasing risk reduction with broader deployment, especially when used in blocking mode across all devices.
– Multi-factor authentication effectiveness now depends on deployment strength, with phishing-resistant MFA across all accounts providing the best outcomes.
– Security operations centers deliver the most value when featuring 24×7 monitoring, threat intelligence, and continuous SIEM rule refinement rather than just existing.
– Cyber awareness training effectiveness relies more on updated content and realistic simulations than frequency, as employees need advanced preparation for current threats.
Security leaders face ongoing pressure to allocate limited resources effectively, and new research provides clear guidance on which cybersecurity measures deliver the greatest impact on breach prevention. A comprehensive analysis from Marsh McLennan’s Cyber Risk Intelligence Center (CRIC) examined self-assessment responses alongside actual claims data, revealing which practices most significantly reduce incident frequency and severity.
Incident response planning emerged as a critical factor, with organizations that conduct tabletop exercises and red-team tests consistently achieving better outcomes. The process of simulating incidents not only improves readiness but often drives broader security investments and reinforces organizational resilience. According to Tom Reagan, Global Cyber Practice Leader at Marsh, this proactive planning cultivates stronger security behaviors and more robust control implementations.
Endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools continue to demonstrate a strong correlation with reduced breach likelihood. The study found that risk decreases progressively as endpoint coverage expands, with the most significant benefits seen when EDR is fully deployed across all laptops and workstations. Using EDR in blocking mode provided an additional layer of protection, further lowering the probability of successful attacks.
While multi-factor authentication (MFA) is now widely adopted, its effectiveness depends heavily on implementation quality. Organizations enforcing phishing-resistant MFA across all accounts achieved measurably stronger security outcomes than those relying on basic authentication methods. The scope and strength of MFA deployment have become the true differentiators in access control.
The presence of a security operations center (SOC) offers value, but capabilities prove more important than mere existence. Features like 24×7 monitoring, active threat intelligence, and continuous process improvement significantly enhance defensive postures. The research also highlighted the importance of security information and event management (SIEM) platforms, noting that organizations that actively refine and tune their SIEM rules derive greater value and detection accuracy.
Cyber awareness training remains relevant, though content quality outweighs training frequency. Updated materials reflecting current social engineering tactics, combined with realistic phishing simulations, correlated more strongly with positive outcomes than the sheer number of sessions. Employees generally understand basic risks but require advanced, scenario-based preparation to respond effectively to sophisticated threats.
Vulnerability management and patching continue to serve as foundational elements of a strong security program. Higher patching frequency correlated with improved outcomes, though reliance solely on CVSS scores proved less effective. Regular assessments, penetration testing, and, importantly, automated patch management processes stood out for their ability to reduce risk by eliminating manual delays and inconsistencies.
(Source: HelpNet Security)
