The increasing range and sophistication of cyber threats have made cybersecurity the most significant IT issue in years.
We have been watching this coming for our entire 20-year history and now the threats and corresponding protections underlie everything we do. I remember a discussion that I had with our engineers not too far back. We agreed that business can no longer be done without technology, but with the accelerating threats and damage, I wondered if a time might come when you cannot conduct business safely with technology, either. I doubt we will get there, but protection of your business data and assets is fast becoming the most important thing that we do.
The CEO of IBM recently stated: “Cybercrime is the greatest threat to every company in the world.”
Technical safeguards are tremendously important to protect your network and your business from uninvited intruders. Incredibly, most breaches are invited, although not intentionally, by staff members who do not recognize threats or know how to respond. A staff member clicking to respond to a phishing attempt, or a bogus password confirmation, or following false instructions that appear to come from management, instantly bypasses all of the technical safeguards and gives the cybercriminals the information or access that they seek. 95% of cybersecurity breaches are due to human action or error.
Security is a risk management game. There is always a trade-off between an acceptable level of security versus the cost, both up front and operationally, of the security measures employed. There is no such thing as absolute security. Every organization must understand the risks, evaluate the potential cost of each type of cyberattack or breach, learn what protections and defenses are available, and make good decisions to invest in appropriate protection, recovery processes, and business continuity.
When you read about towns, hospitals, school systems, and businesses being shut down by cyberattacks, it does not have to be that way. Breaches will happen, but there are systems and safeguards that can be put into place in advance to reduce the chance of these catastrophic events, and to be sure your business and data are recoverable if one occurs. This is important because 60% of small companies go out of business within six months of falling victim to a data breach or cyber attack. Many of these protections are affordable for small businesses, but are often overlooked when caught up in the challenges of running the business itself. Over 43% of cyberattacks target small business. We can help.
Technical Safeguards
Technical safeguards are hardware, software, or services designed to defend against, or mitigate the damage from cyberattacks. We select, install, and maintain safeguards to meet your needs.
- Business-class firewalls with adequate security and processing power to protect against external threats without impacting network and Internet throughput.
- Cost-effective endpoint/antivirus protection that does not significantly impact PC resources.
- Effective spam filtering to eliminate threats before they reach the user.
- Wireless network security to eliminate unauthorized access.
- Internal access controls to limit damage due to compromise of a single user.
- Multilevel local and offsite backups to protect against accidental deletions, hardware failures, ransomware encryption, and physical catastrophes.
- Monitoring and management software agents to promptly report issues and anomalies, and to facilitate effective resource maintenance and updates.
- Mobile device management service to reduce the impact of lost or stolen phones and devices.
- Secure multi-factor-authenticated remote access systems to protect work-from-home sessions.
- Disaster recovery and business continuity planning to meet regulatory requirements.
Cybersecurity User Training
User training to increase awareness and education, and to keep security top-of-mind, is the best defense against phishing and social engineering attacks. Since COVID-19, the US FBI reported a 300% increase in reported cybercrimes. Cybercriminals have leveraged the opportunity of changes to processes to attack vulnerable networks as office work moved to personal homes. Without adequate user training, you run the risk of staff members inviting threat actors into your network and business.
We have partnered with the leading cybersecurity training organization to provide a comprehensive Cybersecurity User Training Program. This program provides:
- Baseline, and then quarterly, phish testing to track the vulnerability of your staff and improvements with training.
- Quarterly training assignments with remedial training as needed based on test results.
- Access to the biggest library of training modules, videos, games, and other material.
- Assistance with customizing the training modules to meet the needs of your unique staff.
- Program automation to notify users of training assignments and keep track of participation.
- Reporting to management on individual and organizational testing and training results.
This training is critically important. Don’t let an employee misstep cost you money or take down your business!
Let's Talk
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