Developing Mitigation Strategies

For each identified threat, especially those targeting high-value assets or lacking adequate controls, develop mitigation strategies. Effective mitigation goes beyond simply adding more controls—it requires balancing security effectiveness, operational impact, and implementation cost. The goal is practical improvements that meaningfully reduce risk without crippling functionality.

Apply the principle of defense in depth by implementing multiple control layers. For SQL injection threats, combine input validation, parameterized queries, least-privilege database accounts, and anomaly detection. If one control fails, others provide backup protection. This layered approach proves especially important for high-value assets where single control failure could be catastrophic.

Consider both preventive and detective controls in your mitigation strategies. While preventing attacks is ideal, some threats are difficult to completely prevent. In these cases, rapid detection and response limit damage. For example, while preventing all insider threats might be impossible, logging and monitoring can detect suspicious activities before significant damage occurs.

Balance security with usability when designing mitigations. Overly restrictive controls that impede legitimate use often get bypassed or disabled. Two-factor authentication significantly improves security but might be excessive for low-risk internal applications. Find the sweet spot where security improvements don't create unacceptable friction for users or administrators.