With an increasing number of users, devices and programs in the modern enterprise, combined with the increased deluge of data — much of which is sensitive or confidential — the importance of cybersecurity continues to grow. The growing volume and sophistication of cyber attackers and attack techniques compound the problem even further.

Maintaining cybersecurity in a constantly evolving threat landscape is a challenge for all organizations. Traditional reactive approaches, in which resources were put toward protecting systems against the biggest known threats, while lesser known threats were undefended, is no longer a sufficient tactic.

To keep up with changing security risks,  a more proactive and adaptive approach is necessary. Several key cybersecurity advisory organizations offer guidance. For example, the National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST recommends adopting continuous monitoring and real-time assessments as part of a risk assessment framework to defend against known and unknown threats.