Cyberthreats are a major risk to every business of every size. Risks associated with viruses, ransomware, and identity theft can cost you lost revenue, loss of reputation, and in many cases even put you out of business.
In today’s world, it’s not a matter of IF a business will experience a cyberthreat but WHEN, so all businesses must be prepared.
Specific security requirements vary based on the size and scope of your business, nature of your work, and security compliance regulations. However, a good, multi-layered security approach for all businesses starts with threat prevention, but most important to protecting your business, is built on the foundation of a solid disaster recovery system.
This approach should include the following components.
Users are the first line of defense against cyberthreats and your business’ greatest vulnerability. Regular cybersecurity awareness and training are essential to threat prevention. This requires participation from your human resources team to incorporate cybersecurity and threat prevention in your company’s employee training programs. A strong culture of security is the best defense, and a lack of security awareness can be your greatest weakness. If technology planning is part of your overall business strategy, your HR leadership should already be incorporating IT strategy into their training plans.
Firewalls are often the first line of physical defense between the internal network and external networks or web traffic. The type and scope of firewall needed varies based on your specific business structure or industry security requirements. Many companies also require some level of Intrusion Protection Systems (IPS) and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS). Your specific needs should be identified in your overall Business Technology Strategy and based on business-critical functions, sensitivity of data, types and needs of users, and applicable security regulations and requirements.
Phishing and Spear Phishing schemes are a major way hackers penetrate business networks. In addition to email threats, the most legitimate looking websites can be compromised or include malicious links. Therefore, even the most educated users fall victim to these email and website schemes. Using systems to filter email messages and web traffic on top of user education creates the best defense. While most email systems come with some native spam and email filtering capabilities, many companies require more robust email and web filtering services beyond the capabilities of the email and web browsing systems. Email and web filtering services offers greater admin control and rules implementation in addition to real-time, continuous updates to catch the most current threats.
Locally installed security software is the last line of defense against malicious programs. It can include virus and malware alerting, file quarantine, and threat remediation. There are a variety of security software solutions on the market. Your overall IT strategy should include an assessment of your network and local security needs to help identify the best solution for your business.
The threat prevention measures above will significantly reduce the odds of your system being attacked. However, disasters happen even with the best protection in place since perpetrators are continuously adapting and inventing new strategies to subvert them.
Without appropriate disaster recovery measures, cyberthreats can shut down departments or even the entire organization for days, which can be catastrophic to your business. Many businesses struggle to recover from the lost revenue and reputation damage associated with a disaster of this nature.
I cannot stress enough that your entire security strategy can be rendered useless without effective disaster recovery. When an attack can jeopardize the existence of your entire business, disaster recovery is the most important investment you can make in your IT security.
The only sure defense that truly protects your business is a bulletproof backup system that is entirely independent of production systems and can maintain business continuity by restoring full functionality within minutes.