Forbes recently published an article on how businesses of all sizes can better meet their cyber-security needs in 2014. One of their chief suggestions is for businesses to have a coherent cyber-security plan provided by IT outsourcing companies, one that involves all employees and requires an honest assessment of the business’s network, workstation and server vulnerabilities.
Rather than being embarrassed about openly discussing cyber-security vulnerabilities, the article calls on business owners to not only assess their IT services risks in an honest, straightforward fashion but also to assume that at some point their security will get compromised.
What would happen if a hacker gets past your business’s digital defenses? The following are some points to consider:
- What kinds of intruder detection do you have for your network?
- When alerted to an intrusion, how long would it take you or your employees to react? Is your network being monitored 24/7?
- Do you have a clear set of protocols for what to do in such situations?
- Does your IT outsourcing company have a documented plan of action?
- Do you have multiple lines of defense in your network? Is the most sensitive data on your network also the most heavily protected?
- Are your cloud services protected?
- In addition to accounting for external security threats, are you aware of any potential internal security risks to your business? Who would be able to disable your cyber-security from inside your IT network?
- Is your managed IT provider keeping you informed of the latest threats?
- What data recovery and backup measures do you have in place? After a cyber attack, how long would it take your business to get up and running again?
For smaller businesses, one cyber attack can potentially lead to a massive loss of profit and bankruptcy; the chances of this happening increase significantly if network security isn’t adequately monitored and the most efficient preparations aren’t laid in place for a breach in security and a potential loss of data.
A key part of our small business IT services is to assess your security risks and come up with efficient, cost-effective solutions that will help prevent attacks and protect you from the worst consequences of a security breach. Don’t hesitate to contact us and find out more about the services we offer.
