If you own a small to mid-sized business, you’re under constant threat of a cyber attack.
That’s not hyperbole. Every day, an estimated 2,200 hacks and breaches occur, which boils down to one attack every 39 seconds.
So how can you keep your business safe? Or at the very least greatly reduce your chances of being hit with an attack?
It all starts with a security-centric culture.
Security first, from top to bottom
Before you talk about security tools, you need to build a culture where security awareness is always on the front burner and accountability is encouraged throughout your organization.
To do this, you want to:
Of course, training and awareness — while critical — can only get you so far. The nuts and bolts of security are tools and processes, which is why you should absolutely take these 10 steps to help lock things down:
Regularly conduct comprehensive assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities and prioritize security measures. You want to dig into your network infrastructure, applications, data storage, and employee practices to pinpoint areas of weakness.
Implement encryption protocols to safeguard sensitive data that is both in transit or at rest. This means utilizing robust access controls and authentication mechanisms that allow only authorized individuals to access confidential information.
Deploy firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) to monitor and control traffic on your network, and regularly update software and firmware to patch known vulnerabilities.
Protect endpoints like desktops, laptops, and mobile devices with antivirus software, endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions, and mobile device management (MDM) tools.
Implement email filtering and anti-phishing measures to detect and block malicious emails, and train employees to recognize phishing attempts. Really hammer home that they need to avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources.
Enforce a strict password policy, including the use of complex passwords, regular password changes, and the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign-on (SSO).
Regularly backup critical data to secure offsite locations or the cloud, and develop a comprehensive recovery plan that outlines the procedures for data restoration and system recovery.
Educate employees about the importance of IT security and their role in protecting company assets. These training sessions should cover best practices, phishing and social engineering awareness, and incident response procedures.
Evaluate the security posture of your third-party vendors and service providers before partnering with them to ensure they are following industry-standard security practices and comply with relevant regulations.
Stay informed about industry-specific regulatory requirements and compliance standards like CMMC, HIPAA, and PCI DSS, then implement policies accordingly.
IT security is an ongoing process, requiring continuous monitoring, assessment, and adaptation to changing threats.
In other words, it takes vigilance, and vigilance takes time and resources.
This puts small to mid-sized organizations in a precarious position, since the costs (both in money and in time) can often be hard to sacrifice.
That’s why every business with fewer than 200 employees should strongly consider outsourcing its IT to a reputable partner. Not only will they be better off security-wise, they’ll be better off financially in the long run.