Countermeasure

A cybersecurity countermeasure is an action, device, procedure, technique, or safeguard used to reduce a system’s vulnerability or oppose a threat or attack. Countermeasures can prevent incidents, make exploitation harder, limit damage, or support recovery. The term is often used broadly alongside concepts such as security controls and safeguards.

Examples of cybersecurity countermeasures include multi-factor authentication, access controls, network segmentation, patching, secure configuration, backups, monitoring, encryption, physical protections, and incident-response procedures. The appropriate countermeasure depends on the threat, vulnerability, system, and risk. Effective security normally uses multiple complementary controls rather than relying on a single protective measure.

The terms are often used similarly, and NIST sources treat countermeasures, safeguards, and security controls as closely related or synonymous in some contexts. A countermeasure emphasizes reducing vulnerability or opposing a threat, while a security control may be framed as a formally selected management, operational, physical, or technical requirement within a security program.