Following is a guest post by Ron Oberjohann, owner and chief technologist at Provectus Innovations Solutions. Greater Harrison Chamber members are invited to share their expertise. Contact the Chamber to learn more.
According to the 2021 Verizon Data Breach Investigations report1, 1-in-5 cyber breach victims were small to medium businesses. With a medium-cost of losses at $21,659, most of these breaches take weeks or months to be discovered. How can you work to protect your business in this ever-changing landscape?
Absence of proper cybersecurity training, the lack of a continuity plan, and security misconfigurations are some of the most significant cybersecurity risks we encounter. This can result in vulnerabilities like phishing attacks, malware infections, weak passwords, and social engineering. A continuity plan can minimize the loss of data, extended downtime, regulatory non-compliance, and reputation damage. Security misconfigurations can create vulnerabilities that can be exploited, resulting in unauthorized access, data breaches, downtime, compliance violations, and reputation damage. It is essential for you to address these risks proactively to protect sensitive data and maintain your operations.
CYBERSECURITY CONCERN No. 1: Training
Training your team in some basics of cybersecurity can reduce vulnerability to a wide range of cyber-attacks and help protect sensitive information. Discussing phishing, malware, weak passwords, and social engineering tactics can help you recognize and avoid these attacks, reducing the risk of incidents and protecting sensitive data.
CYBERSECURITY CONCERN No. 2: Continuity Planning
Continuity planning is an often-overlooked piece of your security. Without a comprehensive and rehearsed plan, you will be left vulnerable to the impact of cyber incidents. A plan is a cornerstone of a multi layered approach and includes the procedures and processes to recover from an issue and minimize impact to essential business functions in case an issue occurs. This plan can and should extend beyond information technology as it helps to avoid losing critical information, extended inability to service your customers, ensure you remain in compliance with the regulations for your industry, and protect your reputation.
CYBERSECURITY CONCERN No. 3: Security Misconfigurations
Security misconfigurations are unfortunately common, present a significant risk, and happen when system settings, network devices, or applications are not configured correctly or left in a default state, exposing vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Misconfigured settings can not only allow unauthorized access to your systems but expose sensitive information which can lead to a data breach, downtime, compliance violations, and damage your reputation.
About Provectus Innovative Solutions
Provectus Innovative Solutions, with vendor partners, provide services to help mitigate risks in these areas, manage your I.T. assets, support your operations, and much more! Visit www.Provectus.rocks for more information and contact Provectus to schedule a meeting.