(Newswire.net — October 28, 2020) — The business world has made a definitive shift in a virtual direction over the past year. And it’s only going to become more pronounced in the coming months. The question is, are you keeping your business safe and secure?
6 Sound Security Strategies
The task of keeping your business safe and secure has never been more difficult. Whether it’s inside or outside of the organization, challenges, risks, and threats are everywhere. And unless you’re proactive in your decision making, you will fall behind.
As your business looks to the future, here are some important strategies and elements to be aware of:
1. Get Serious About Cloud Security
According to Check Point, 94 percent of organizations are moderately to extremely concerned about cloud security.
“When asked about what are the biggest security threats facing public clouds, organizations ranked misconfiguration (68%) highest, followed by unauthorized access (58%), insecure interfaces (52%), and hijacking of accounts (50%),” they explain.
Now is the time to get serious about cloud security, otherwise you could quickly find yourself playing from behind. A strong cloud security provider combined with real-time security audits will help you stay in the clear.
2. Pay Attention to Device Security
As the IoT expands and remote work becomes increasingly popular, the number of devices employees use to access sensitive business data is growing at an exponential rate. This means businesses must pay attention to device security.
Research shows that over half of all IoT devices connected to enterprise networks are actually consumer-grade products (meaning they have minimal native security features). As a business, you need to implement better safeguards and remove shadow IoT devices from your attack surface, while simultaneously improving detection and prevention. (More stringent password protection and multi-factor authentication are also important.)
3. Prioritize Encryption
Virtually every major cloud provider is going to have advanced encryption. It’s up to you to ask the right questions and compare encryption features from one provider to another. Make sure you’re getting what you’re promised and aren’t just being sold on fancy marketing language. The ultimate goal is that if a hacker were ever to infiltrate your system, the encryption and backups would be so advanced that it would do minimal harm to your business.
4. Plan for Human Error
Did you know that 95 percent of all security incidents involve human error at some level? Whether it’s clicking on a phishing email and downloading a virus or unwittingly providing a password to someone who doesn’t have any business accessing a server, mistakes are everywhere around us. And if you’re going to protect your organization, you must account for these errors and address them before they put your business at risk.
5. Address Technology Risks
While plenty of businesses still use on-premise solutions, it’s important that you at least consider the cloud (if for no other reason than it gives you greater control).
“By storing data in the cloud instead of on a local disk drive, you can take advantage of built-in features like automatic backup, universal access and nearly 100 percent protection against device failure,” security consultant Darren Guccione mentions.
Just make sure that you aren’t taking security for granted, simply because you’re on the cloud. There are plenty of technology risks here, too. Thus, it becomes a matter of staying abreast of new developments in the industry so that you can respond accordingly.
6. Be Smart About Physical Risks, Too
We can’t talk about staying safe without also mentioning physical risks. While they don’t get as much attention or focus as digital threats, physical risks like natural disasters, power outages, or broken parts on legacy systems can all put your business in a compromising situation. And though not always preventable, you can do your best to establish contingency and response plans for possible issues.
Is Your Business Protected?
It’s time to be honest with yourself and your business and ask the simple question: Are we truly protected?
“Too often, businesses and business owners fall into the trap of thinking they can handle everything themselves. But, sometimes, it’s better to buy or partner than it is to build,” Business.com mentions. “Leave security to the professionals who understand its intimate workings so that you can focus on what’s important: the day-to-day operation of your business.”
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t be fully engaged in your security strategy. However, you shouldn’t bear the entire burden. Hire security professionals to handle the big picture while you focus on running your business. That’s the best plan of action moving forward.