8 Ways to Ensure Secure Project Management

The digital world is evolving at an unprecedented speed, and it has outstripped the growth rate of almost every other industry. While new technologies allow us to perform our jobs more efficiently, they come with their own risks and challenges for organizations, especially in terms of cybersecurity.

According to recent studies, cyberattacks are on the rise, and they don’t show any signs of slowing down. The 2023 security report states that these attacks have increased by 38% in 2022 as compared to 2021.

They can be devastating for organizations as they can lead to the loss of sensitive data, reputation damage, and financial loss. Therefore, it’s critically important for project managers to take robust security measures to ensure the success of their projects.

In this article, we will explain different ways to ensure secure project management so that you can safeguard your organization from potential cyber threats.

Biggest Cybersecurity Threats to Look Out for

Hackers now use modern techniques, like machine learning and AI, to create more complex and targeted cyberattacks. It increases their chances of gaining access to sensitive organizational data.

The following are some of the biggest cybersecurity threats that you should understand as a project manager. It can help you minimize the risk of falling victim to these attacks and protect your organization.

Ransomware Extortion

Ransomware is one of the biggest dangers of financial loss for organizations. It’s a type of cyberattack that encrypts the victim's data and demands a ransom in exchange for the decryption key.

Once the files are encrypted, the victim is left with two choices - either pay the ransom and hope to get the decryption key or lose their data forever.

Phishing and Social Engineering

Hackers use phishing and social engineering techniques to trick victims into giving up sensitive information such as login credentials, credit card details, or other personal information.

They use fake emails and/or messages that appear to be from legitimate sources to lure victims into clicking on links or downloading malware.

Mobile Malware

Mobile malware is basically malicious software designed to target mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. It can infect a device through multiple channels, including app downloads and email, and allow hackers to steal sensitive information.

Additionally, they can also use it to monitor the victim's online activity or even take control of the device completely.

SQL Injection

Hackers also use SQL injection to exploit vulnerabilities in the code of a website or application to inject malicious code into a database. It allows them to access sensitive data such as user login credentials or financial information.

Third-Party Access Risks

Many organizations rely on third-party vendors for various services such as data storage, payroll processing, or customer support. While this approach can be cost-effective, it can also create vulnerabilities in the organization's security that cybercriminals can exploit.

Best Ways to Ensure Project Management Security

If you’re a project manager and want to secure each project that you execute, consider using the tips listed below. They’ll allow you to add multiple layers of protection to keep your projects secure and improve their performance.

1. Use a Secure Project Management Tool

A project management tool is designed to help you organize and manage your projects efficiently. It provides you with a holistic view of all the resources and tasks related to a project so that you can monitor the progress in real-time.

It also allows your teams working on the same project to collaborate easily in order to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

However, it’s important to note that not all project management tools are created equal. That’s why it’s important to make sure that you choose a secure tool offered by a reliable and trusted company. It’ll provide you with a secure environment where you can create and manage all the tasks related to your project seamlessly.

Not only will it keep all the sensitive data (that it’s handling) safe, but it’ll also help you complete your project without any hiccups. Jira and Monday.com are two of the most secure project management tools that you can use for this purpose.

You can further improve the functionality of these tools using Jira and Monday.com integrations offered by Taskcall, which is an on-call management and incident response service.

Integrating it with your task management tool will allow you to create task items directly from TaskCall incidents to save both time and effort.

2. Integrate Security Right from the Start

One of the best ways to ensure secure project management is to integrate security right from the start. It means that you need to make security an integral part of the project instead of considering it an afterthought.

Not only will it reduce the risk of data breaches, but it’ll also create a culture of security within the development team. It will allow them to write more secure code to develop a product with fewer vulnerabilities.

Another important benefit of using this approach is that it can help you quickly identify security vulnerabilities in your system. It’ll make it easier for your teams to address them before malicious online actors can exploit them.

So, make sure that you evaluate security during each step, including planning, development, testing, end-of-project, and maintenance.

3. Choose Secure Tools and Services

Different projects have different requirements, and you need to use several tools and services, such as open-source and third-party libraries, to meet them.

Always opt for tools that offer strong security features and are updated regularly to address new vulnerabilities and threats. The best way to ensure it is to work only with those providers that you know and trust.

This way, you're less likely to fall victim to cyber threats or fraudulent schemes. But if you don’t know the vendor, consider reading online reviews about their services before using them.

4. Secure Third-Party Access

If you need to work with external parties, such as vendors, contractors, and consultants, be extra careful while providing them access to your company network. That’s because these parties can pose security risks if you fail to manage their access properly.

Here’s a list of tips that can help you minimize these risks.

• Establish authentication protocols and access controls to limit third-party access to only the necessary resources required to complete the project.
• Provide cybersecurity training to all third-party and vendor personnel who need to work on the project.
• Establish a comprehensive system to monitor third-party access to detect any suspicious activity or unauthorized access.
• Review and update access permissions regularly to ensure they remain effective and aligned with the project's needs.

5. Use Advanced Security Tools

Security tools act as a first line of defense against malicious attacks, viruses, and other cyber threats that can compromise sensitive business information.

Here are some important security tools that you should use.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A VPN is a secure and encrypted connection between two devices, typically between a user's device and a company's network. It encrypts data transmission and prevents hackers and other cybercriminals from intercepting sensitive information.

If you’re working with remote teams, you should ask them to use this tool, especially if they need to use public Wi-Fi connections.

Antivirus Software

An antivirus software solution is a program that’s designed to detect and prevent malware from infecting a device. Ideally, you should install it on all the devices, including laptops, smartphones, and tablets, that you and your teams use to access the organizational data.

Firewall

Firewalls are designed to ensure network security by monitoring and controlling internet traffic. They can help you prevent unauthorized access to a network and protect your company data from cyberattacks.

6. Control User Access Privileges

Controlling user access privileges is the process of limiting the access of your employees only to the necessary data and functions that they need to perform their daily jobs.

You can implement it by creating several user roles with different access levels. For example, you can create a "developer" role with access to the project files and a "copywriter" role with access to the marketing copy.

It is also important to review and update your user access privileges regularly to keep them effective. It means removing access to certain data/functions for employees who no longer need it, and vice versa.

7. Data Encryption

Data encryption is a process of converting plain text into a coded (encrypted) message that can only be decoded using the decryption key. The purpose of this process is to prevent cyber criminals from interpreting sensitive business information.

Here are some tips that you can follow to encrypt your business data effectively.

• Use a reliable and secure encryption tool like Bitlocker, 7-Zip, and AxCrypt.
• Create strong and unique passwords and encryption keys and store them in a safe place. It’s also important to change them regularly, after every three months.
• Train your employees on data security and encryption best practices to make them understand the importance of data encryption.

Important Note: It is also important to back up your data regularly and store it in a secure location (be it online or offline). It’ll allow you to recover your data in case of any data loss, corruption, or accidental deletion.

8. Have an Incident Response Plan in Place

An incident response plan is a structured approach that can help you handle and respond to security incidents or data breaches.

It outlines the steps to be taken in case of any security incidents, identifies the roles and responsibilities of the team members, and provides a framework for communication and coordination during an incident.

Here’s how to create an effective incident response plan.

• Identify the potential security risks that your project can face and prioritize them based on their criticality.
• Establish an incident response team and define their roles and responsibilities.
• Outline the procedures of the plan that your team will follow in case of a security incident. They should include steps such as identification, containment, investigation, and recovery.
• Test your incident response plan periodically to reveal any gaps or weaknesses in it. It’ll help you update it regularly to ensure its effectiveness and relevance.

Final Words

Ensuring security while managing projects is a crucial aspect of maintaining your organization's success and reputation. One of the best ways to achieve it is to prioritize security and make it an integral part of your project.

It will help you prevent the risk of falling victim to cyberattacks and protect your data. We hope that this guide has provided you with useful insights into effective ways to ensure secure project management.