From spear-phishing to data theft, security breaches can be disastrous for your corporation.
As our reliance on technology increases, the need for every business to work aggressively to stop cybersecurity threats from impacting their customers becomes more vital.
No matter how vigilant, proactive, and determined your IT team is to take responsibility for thwarting hackers and other cybersecurity threats, they sometimes need to extend their capabilities by partnering with a powerful managed services provider.
Cybersecurity Threats
The number of threats your organization will face is growing in both number and complexity.
The new threats that have developed from opportunistic hackers during the pandemic are more insidious than ever.
- They play on the emotions and fears of employees as a method for extracting information.
- They trick employees into clicking links, downloading files, and in some cases, wiring money.
To stop cybersecurity from impacting your business in terms of money, customers, and downtime, proactive and aggressive security measures must be enacted.
Threats to Your Organization
In addition to the ransomware and malware threats that businesses face, there are also threats that are industry-specific.
For example, dental and medical clinics are specifically targeted for data theft. Hackers are able to break into networks and access private patient information. They know that they can hold that data for ransom because of the risk these clinics face in violating data protection requirements, which can often be more costly than just paying the fines.
Oil and gas industry companies face different kinds of threats – the kind that could leave an entire quadrant without power. Hackers who target oil and gas companies are also looking for ransom, but they use fear as a tactic by threatening energy disruption.
Construction companies rely heavily on technology for communication. Because of this, the cyberattack target may be easily deceived by an email that appears to be a legitimate invoice and before they realize they’ve been duped, the invoice is paid.
No matter what industry you are in, threats are waiting.
It’s More Important Than Ever to Strengthen Cybersecurity
One of the things we’ve learned from the pandemic is that there are gaps in security in almost every organization.
Corporations were suddenly forced to support an entirely remote workforce.
Companies were faced with the realization that it can be very difficult to manage who has access to what data when they are all accessing it from their home computers.
Some organizations immediately were faced with the realization that their infrastructure wasn’t up to date or extensive enough to manage teams in disparate locations.
These shortfalls in security should be a call to action to make the necessary investments and changes to be more secure in the future.
You can be sure that risks will increase.
How Can You Improve Your Cybersecurity?
There are several areas in which the gaps seemed to be largest for even the biggest corporations:
Patching
It is essential to keep software patched and up to date to prevent vulnerabilities. This includes everything from Microsoft Windows to your WordPress plugins.
Mobile Security Management
An increased number of employees are working from home and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. It is crucial that your organization has a corporate-wide, comprehensive mobile device policy. This should include security, VPN, and strict access guidelines.
Password Security
Instead of relying on passwords to protect your organization, one of the fastest and most effective cybersecurity changes you can make is to insist on the use of a password manager. There are several password managers to choose from. You can see a review of the top five on Wired. If you are a client of The ITeam, talk to your vCIO about password management for your organization.
Multi-factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security method designed to reduce the chance of unauthorized access. We recommend implementing multi-factor authentication for every access point.
AI for Better Security
Every corporation will need to employ some form of AI to help manage threats. AI allows us to respond more rapidly while predicting and shutting down threats before they reach the network.
Employee Training
Whether it’s an employee who clicks a link in a phishing email, a disgruntled former employee whose access has not been terminated, or a lack of caution when employing a third-party vendor, people add a level of cybersecurity risk. Regular and in-depth training, strict security policies, and remote wipe capabilities should be standard measures for every business.
Benefits of Cybersecurity
For any corporation, cybersecurity can no longer be an afterthought. It must be a proactive part of the business design.
In doing so, cybersecurity becomes anticipatory instead of reactive, thwarting threats instead of paying ransoms.
We can no longer wait for threats to be realized. We must act now before there are threats, while we can still predict potential risks and defend ourselves from them.
IT security costs money; there’s no way around it. But it is an investment that pays off.
Improving your cybersecurity efforts is cheaper than paying a ransom.
Adopting flat-rate services also curtails the temptation to skimp on IT security and infrastructure improvements simply to save money.
The ITeam can work directly with your IT department to help identify potential security weaknesses in your IT network and work with you to develop a comprehensive IT strategy.
Every Corporation Faces Risk
Every business must take responsibility for reducing cyber risk by:
Looking for IT Support in Calgary?
If you’re ready to make heightened cybersecurity a priority at your Calgary- or Alberta-based business, The ITeam provides customized solutions to suit your needs, regardless of industry.
We are the local source for comprehensive IT services, as well as IT products, supplies, and support. Contact us for a free consultation.
