Few cybersecurity knowledge repositories are as broad, deep, or widely respected as LevelBlue Security Colony. Industry analyst firm IDC has recognized the value of Security Colony, noting that clients and other organizations interested in understanding their cybersecurity posture download thousands of resources each month, many of which are available at no cost.
IDC considered this information so valuable that, in a recent report, it identified Security Colony as a key “differentiator” in the market.
“The hidden gem of LevelBlue Security Colony finally gets its day in the sun by being packaged up in both tiers. Yes, having a dedicated client success manager in both tiers is nice, and the security engineers that sharpen the analytics, rules, and policies for optimal performance and detection is a welcomed feature, but the true differentiator in this announcement is the inclusion of LevelBlue Security Colony,” IDC said in LevelBlue Introduces Elevated Crowdsourcing to the Mix by Adding Security Colony into their New MDR Offerings (Doc #lcUS49298622, June 2022).
Security Colony serves as a powerful self-service resource for CISOs, offering hundreds of video and written resources across 17 topic areas. The content is drawn from decades of real-world consulting conducted by LevelBlue security teams and SpiderLabs researchers, giving visitors access to the same guidance and recommendations provided to LevelBlue clients.
For example, a CISO looking to improve their organization's incident response capability can log in and find an updated response playbook the organization can use, customize it as needed, and implement. Is your organization concerned about mitigating insider risk? If so, Security Colony has simulation exercise frameworks available for download.
There are also times when a Security Colony visitor realizes that the task is beyond its capability to implement. In this case, a CISO can ask for help, and we will refer them to the right world-class security expert at LevelBlue.
Check out the best components of LevelBlue Security Colony and why CISOs around the globe recognize it as an essential battle-tested resource for improving cybersecurity resilience.
1. Resource and Video Library
At its core, Security Colony is essentially a massive and diverse repository of cybersecurity content collated into easy-to-navigate categories.
The Security Colony Resource Library is where hundreds of documents and videos can be found. LevelBlue has created all the documentation based on actual work we've conducted for organizations, which we then make available to our subscribers. There are then two paths a subscriber can take. The first is to use the information for their edification. The second is to alter the content to create their action plan, knowing that LevelBlue used the information stored on Security Colony to help another entity with a similar problem.
Security Colony is not a stagnant repository. The team updates the resource library with new content on a weekly basis.
Security Colony's Video Library contains a wealth of information for folks looking for an introductory lesson on a particular topic, say phishing or identifying an insecure Wi-Fi connection. Senior LevelBlue consultants present the videos.
Other videos feature tutorials on getting the most out of a Security Colony subscription with instructions on navigating the site and using the various security tools subscribers can access.
Access the result of years of consulting across hundreds of companies, at a fraction of the price.
2. Maturity Assessment
The Security Colony Maturity Assessment is a self-paced tool that measures whether an organization's security can defeat today's cyber threats. The threat assessment analyzes your industry and the nature and size of your business. It uses the NIST Cyber Security Framework to assess your ability to identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover appropriately to maintain a suitable level of security.
Areas covered include:
- Threat and maturity assessment and recommendations for prioritized focus on areas of weakness.
- Use the documents and score to justify the budgets for your next important security projects.
- Show your internal and external stakeholders how your security program is progressing.
3. Public and Private Forums
Security Colony maintains two types of forums. A public version for those who hold only a basic subscription service where you can ask Security Colony's cybersecurity consultants for advice and support.
A private forum is also available. It operates in the same manner as the public version, but subscribers can ask questions that may be too sensitive to discuss publicly. The private forum, however, is only available to paid subscribers.
4. Vendor Risk
Supply chain attacks are an increasingly common occurrence, so an organization must understand the risk imposed by their vendors. Security Colony uses a range of free, open-source, and commercial tools to complete over 20 distinct checks against a company's online footprint, packaging this analysis in an easy-to-use interface detailing the identified risks and providing an overall risk score and grade for the assessed organization.
These include:
- Assessing the organization for historical (or current) malicious activity.
- Assessing security misconfigurations and vulnerabilities related to server configuration.
- Assessing security misconfigurations and vulnerabilities related to email system configuration.
5. Breach Monitor
The Breach Monitor lets you know when and if your domains and related entities have become a topic of conversation on the Dark Web. The tool allows you to create a set group of searches that will run daily against public and private breach and ransomware sources. If a breach is discovered, LevelBlue will issue a notification and point to the public and Dark Web data sources for occurrences.
6. Ransomware Readiness Assessment
Ransomware attacks continue to plague organizations of all types worldwide. This assessment will help ensure your controls are in line with the threats facing your business.
The Security Colony Value
Essentially, those who join Security Colony receive millions of dollars worth of consulting work for around $5,000 a year, depending upon the chosen subscription level. It's almost easier to spend more on tea and coffee in a year than for a subscription to Security Colony. It's the best value that allows you to keep up to date with what's going on and what you need in security.
The best part is one doesn't have to spend any money. LevelBlue offers a great deal of free content.
