Your business’ security has always been a key concern, and today, this consideration extends to your IT infrastructure, too. Following a number of high profile cyber attacks on organisations ranging from those in the public sector to major utility companies and SMEs, it’s clear that no one can consider themselves exempt from a growing threat landscape. Yet understanding just who should take responsibility for managing your business’ security protocols is less clear. There are several options that range from the C-Level to the Risk and compliance department, to the DPO or even the IT team
- The Main Cyber Security Risks
Data is big business these days and cyber criminals know all too well how valuable a commodity it represents. This is why the current approach to data collection for analytical purposes can put your company at risk. With stringent compliance requirements now in place, organisations must demonstrate a rigorous security strategy to protect the sensitive personal data they collect. If they fail to do so, they can find themselves at risk of a breach in which this data is effectively held to ransom.
Other key security concerns include geo-targeted phishing attacks, vulnerabilities created by the use of IoT (Internet of Things) devices and the use of mobile or personal devices which is increasingly prevalent in this age of Bring Your Own Device and remote working practices.
Many more cyber breaches can be attributed to easily preventable issues, such as insufficient security awareness amongst staff, poorly configured Cloud settings and keeping applications up to date with the latest security releases
- Keeping Your Business Safe
The first, and probably lowest cost control you can implement is Multifactor authentication. This provides a second layer of account verification for a user, so if their email password is compromised, and attacker still can’t gain access. If you haven’t got this, or don’t know about it, get this implemented ASAP
The majority of data breaches originate from staff within the organisation itself, and this often comes down to a lack of understanding about cyber risks. Staff training has a major role to play in protecting your business, and this should be seen as an ongoing priority. From training on safe email practices, through to not using unauthorised devices for work to access sensitive files or data, your employees are the greatest line of defence against cyber crime. Stressing the importance that all staff adhere to data protection rules is essential, but it also makes sense to implement access restrictions when it comes to the valuable personal data stored or used by your company.
Ensuring that all security software is up to date and that patches and updates are installed promptly, will also help to protect your interests, particularly where Cloud services are being used. And when it comes to the Cloud, be sure that it is correctly configured to avoid the inadvertent creation of vulnerable access points. Thankfully, there are software solutions available that can automate many of the routine security tasks, as well as flag any concerning incidents. When used appropriately, such tools can provide a robust layer of defence.
- Who Should Take Ownership Of Your Security?
Whilst ultimate responsibility for ensuring the IT Security of the business rests with the C-Suite and needs to strongly foster a security-conscious workplace, the IT team inevitably has a crucial role to play in delivering the cyber security controls, it should be clear that everyone in the organisation needs to take responsibility for maintaining your security strategy. With the right software tools, policies, processes and the right training, you can protect your business from the many threats it faces, but if you need a little help in developing your ideal security protocols, or want to be confident that the measures you’ve taken are effective enough, there are experts on hand to help.
At Reflective IT, we provide specialist security support, giving our clients the assurance that they are maximising their online security, with our Cyber Essentials toolkit reducing the risk to organisations by up to 80%. It’s the ideal cyber security insurance for today’s threat landscape.
So why not discover how you could maximise your cyber security and partner with Reflective IT, by getting in touch today on 0207 317 4535, or at [email protected], and see how we can transform your approach to data security?
