Information-intensive businesses need Cybersecurity services to solve an increasingly common problem: no one knows when or where the next ransomware attack will hit. Hackers attack every organization and succeed when they find a weak link. A “weak link” could be anything from one of your employees accessing the network from an unsecured internet connection to criminals finding a way into your system because one of your vendors has lax cybersecurity protocols.
That’s right, your business doesn’t even need to be the direct target. If an organization or vendor you work with is a victim, the attack can spread to you too. This is why so many businesses were heavily impacted by the SolarWinds and Kaseya attacks.
If you’ve avoided a breach so far, you’re lucky.
The devastation of a cyberattack is immediate. Your computer freezes. Files are locked. Email and Wi-Fi go down. Data could disappear. Paying a ransom doesn’t guarantee restoration.
It’s a situation everyone wants to avoid. However, many organizations lack the comprehensive coverage required to keep criminals at bay. As a result, gaps emerge for the criminals to exploit.
Three Cybersecurity Gaps Information-Rich Businesses Have
1. Relying on technical solutions from your managed IT services provider
Firewalls and antivirus software play a role in keeping you protected. They aren’t a complete solution. Cybersecurity isn’t a technical problem to be solved by an IT technician. There’s a human element you need to address.
People ignore best practices
According to a report by LastPass, 91% of people are aware it’s risky to use the same or very similar passwords on different accounts. 66% of them do it anyway.
In other words, when it comes to protecting your business’ data, you can’t just tell people cybersecurity best practices and assume they’ll follow them.
Cybercriminals manipulate human behavior
Everyone needs to know how to detect and report phishing scams that arrive in their inbox. Strong password policies and security best practices need to be followed. Otherwise, you’ll leave the door open for cybercriminals to walk into your network and wreak havoc.
2. Equating compliancy with security
Steps you take to meet compliance regulations often improve cybersecurity. But that can be a drawback, too. If you let your compliance strategy dictate your approach, you create a “check box” cybersecurity strategy.
Because the requirements are set by government agencies and regulatory bodies, completing each item on your compliance to-do list creates the perception that you’ve “done enough” to keep criminals out. Really, you’ve only done enough to be compliant. You’re only secure when you address your specific risk profile.
3. Not using cloud IT consulting services to wrap security around mobile employees
Your employees move around. They work from their homes. When they hit the road for work or vacation, their smartphones ensure that your company emails and documents travel with them. Sounds innocent enough, but it’s a gaping security hole even amateur hackers can exploit.
Consider this. You let employees use personal computers to work on documents. Alongside your company files and data, there are countless apps they’ve downloaded. Any one of those applications could be infected with malware that will spread throughout their device. The virus will worm its way onto your network, destroying or locking every file it encounters.
That’s just one danger hackers can exploit
Don’t open the door to criminals when employees take work outside the office. Your IT provider can address the issue, using tools that limit access based on the:
- Person’s identity
- Device used
- Content in the document
- Location
The cloud isn’t inherently safe.
Yes, Azure has advanced security features, but if your cloud consultants never turn them on for you, your clients and employees face unnecessary risks.
5 Essential Cybersecurity Services
You can’t predict the next ransomware attack, but cybersecurity services can help you:
- Prevent criminals accessing your network
- Boot hackers out if they slip in through phishing emails
- Restore your ability to work
It’s not just about data.
Get a security assessment to protect clients and employees.
Here are 5 critical services and policies you want to make sure you have in place today:
1. Identity access and management
Keeping criminals out of your network starts with ensuring that only authorized users get in. Identity access and management tools in Microsoft Azure makes this possible. Multifactor authentication is a good starting point. When it’s turned on, only a person with the password and additional security token can log in.
2. Threat protection
Cybercriminals operate globally. An attack could start at 2 a.m. Industry-leading threat protection solutions from Microsoft monitor your systems 24/7 and respond automatically. They safeguard identities, devices, applications, data and servers. Or in other words, they’re protecting your ability to run a profitable business.
3. Information Protection
Allowing employees to work from home, access email on cell phones, or operate outside the office in any way introduces a difficult question: How do you lock down security when you can’t place physical walls around your data?
Answer: Use advanced security features in Azure to control who can access information when, where and from what device. Your IT provider can also set up rules so only people who absolutely need the file or data have access to it. No matter which policies you choose, your IT partner should be able to implement them in a way that doesn’t cause major daily disruptions for you or your team.
4. Security Management
The best defense for your business brings a layered approach to your cybersecurity. A centralized system pulls together the different services and tools you use into a cohesively managed solution. This lets your IT expert continually monitor, measure and maintain your security profile.
We use Microsoft solutions for our clients because of the real, immediate positive impact the services have. Several months after they started working with us, The Security Industry Association (SIA) saw a 10-fold increase in their Microsoft Secure Score. Here’s how we did it.
5. Zero Trust
The zero-trust model meets security challenges created by modern work environments. Under this framework, you assume you will eventually be breached and act to minimize the damage the inevitable attack will cause. You encrypt data and backups. Endpoints are protected. Verification methods are used whenever possible. Access is only granted to people who absolutely need it.
Get Cybersecurity Services Tailored to Your Risk Profile
You can’t copy a peer’s cybersecurity playbook. Even if they’re in the same industry, there will be operational differences between your company and theirs. You’ll end up overpaying or underpaying for cybersecurity services. Either way, you’ll have the wrong coverage. Your data will be vulnerable; jeopardizing your ability to work. Without files, email or network access, your team isn’t working. Clients can’t get ahold of you.
It’s a reality you don’t have to accept.
Use cloud consulting services to find the right solutions
Work with a cybersecurity-focused managed IT services provider to strike the right balance between security, productivity and your budget. At Nortec, we continually invest in certifications and continuing education so that our consultants are ready to combat the latest threats. We’re prepared to evaluate your environment, customize a plan and protect your organization.
Protect your data – wherever it’s located.
