Cybersecurity is one of the most important aspects of business technology, especially in the current business world, where companies are automating most of their operations. There are several reasons behind this:
- Businesses with better security get more customers
- Cybercriminals are advancing their tactics
- It’s a requirement for businesses in certain fields to have enhanced security
- Businesses need to keep up with the competition
Businesses have realized that they need to keep their data secured to earn their customers’ trust. Because of that, you might see some businesses allocating significant percentages of their revenues to cybersecurity.
Why Cybersecurity Is Important
Thriving companies are digitizing their operations, and the ones who aren’t will likely be left in the dust. Digital transformations are the way of the future. This huge migration to digital operations requires customers to trust businesses with their details—and that trust doesn’t always come easily. As a business owner, you need to be prepared to show your clientele how you strive to protect their data.
Unfortunately, cybersecurity isn’t as simple as installing a firewall and walking away. Cybercriminals are improving their techniques, and as a result, older security designs are outdated. The majority of the people who engage in cybercrime are well trained in IT-related issues and can easily overrun weak IT security systems.
Your business needs the most advanced form of security, and you can get such security by working with a reliable IT company.
How to Check Your Cybersecurity
Inspect Your Quarterly Data Breaches and Cyber Attacks
If you experience regular breaches—or attempts at breaches—you should consider an upgrade to a new cybersecurity system. Check for repeating attacks from similar sources, and treat failed cyber attacks seriously. Even a poorly executed attack shows that someone is looking to steal your information, and chances are they’ll find their way into your system eventually.
Record the current state of your security system. Delve into your system’s breach history, particularly within the last quarter. Then, if the results aren’t ideal, invest in a new security system and compare the metrics.
Reevaluate Your System’s Password Requirements
First, ensure that your employees follow proper password protocol. Train them on the following basics:
- Passwords should have at least eight characters
- Employees should never use commonly known information as passwords, such as birthdays, wedding anniversaries, or names
- Employee passwords should be different from personal passwords
- Special characters, random capitalizations, and numbers can strengthen security
Those tips might sound obvious, but some of the most common data breaches happen because employees don’t date cybersecurity seriously.
Once you know your employees approach passwords correctly, it’s time to ask the same of your cybersecurity system, too. Inspect its password requirements to see if it matches your company standards.
If the password requirements are relatively weak, you should take the necessary measures to enhance security. That might include multi-factor authentication, more intense cybersecurity systems, or even asking employees to change their passwords every quarter.
Working With Professional IT Companies
The truth is, most cybersecurity tests can’t be administered by just anyone. To really understand the strength of your system, you’ll either need to have an extensive background in IT security or know someone who does.
Most companies don’t have IT experts at their beck and call—but that’s where outsourcing comes in handy. Managed service providers (MSP) offer those services at a reasonable price and can often customize their packages based on your company’s needs.
Not sure where to start your search for an MSP? This IT company in Boston is a good representation of what you should expect from a managed service provider. Use them as a baseline when comparing companies.
The best professionals use some of the latest and advanced tools to test security strength. Their state-of-the-art techniques identify areas that might be prone to cybercrime so you can be confident that your business is secure.