If you were shopping for a home security system, you wouldn’t settle for an option that only protects the front door. You’d want a system that can secure every nook and cranny of your house, 24/7. You need to have the same mindset when it comes to your business.
You need more than firewalls and anti-virus software.
Relying on firewalls, anti-virus software or other basic protections is like only protecting the front door of your house. Yes, you’re preventing some threats, but there are many other ways a thief can break in. You need to work with an expert managed security provider who is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) to prevent cyberattacks and mitigate IT risks.
Understanding IT Risks Fort Worth Businesses Face
Businesses of all sizes have a lot to lose by falling prey to today’s increasing cyber security threats.
Employees can be a serious threat
Even though vendors are developing advanced security features, hackers can still easily exploit vulnerable employees and businesses with lax information security management.
Often, this is accidental and caused by something as simple as an employee clicking a link in a phishing email. Less common, but still possible, are insider threats exploiting a trusting employer.
If you’re breached, you’ll likely lose revenue
Ransomware isn’t the only way a breach can cost you. You could also suffer a decrease in profits from:
- Unexpected downtime or productivity slowdowns due to ransomware and phishing attacks
- Loss of money or financial account information due to executive impersonation (whaling)
The longer it takes you to recover from outages or data loss, the more you stand to lose. You need to have a robust disaster recovery/business continuity plan in place.
Breaches damage your professional reputation
Loss or exposure of sensitive data have implications beyond downtime; they can hurt your reputation. Public faith falters when breaches are disclosed – 60% of small companies are out of business 6 months after a cyberattack occurs.
Risks change as you grow
Growth brings change, and change can introduce new threats. When we work with clients who are growing, we vet their security to ensure their businesses aren’t open to compromise, especially if they’re acquiring or merging with other businesses. Here are two ways we help growing businesses create or modify processes with security in mind:
- Establish human resources procedures that include background checks and timely notification of IT when hires and terminations occur for proper account creation and removal
- Audit file access and security group permissions as employee movement occurs between roles
Multilayered Security is a Key Line of Defense
When you have layers of security, you make it much harder for a threat to take advantage of a vulnerability. But, not all businesses have the same threat exposure. How many layers of security control you need depends on your level of risk.
That said, there are basic preventive measures all businesses benefit from. We recommend you put into practice tools and systems that can:
- Detect anomalies and threats as they occur
- Minimize or subvert damage in the event of an attack
- Recover from a successful attack or disaster with a response, remediation and recovery plan
Work with a security expert to determine the level of protection you need.
Partner with a Managed Security Partner Who is a CISSP
You don’t have to confront these risks on your own. A managed security provider will be able to help you develop incident response plans, provide tools to protect your business and monitor your network for suspicious activity.
Look for a partner you can trust who has a high level of expertise – a CISSP.
What is a CISSP?
CISSP stands for Certified Information Systems Security Professional. It is considered the gold standard of security certifications. Working with a CISSP provides full confidence that your business is protected by the most up-to-date best practices.
To qualify, a candidate needs to:
- Be endorsed by another CISSP who is in good standing
- Pass an adaptive test lasting 3 hours and containing 150 questions
- Possess 5 years of verified information security work experience
- Complete 120 hours of continuing education every 3 years
Read more about CISSP processes and benefits here.
CISSPs are on staff at VersaTrust and can help protect your business. Contact us to schedule an assessment or learn more about how we safeguard organizations in the Fort Worth area.
