The cyber-world ceased to be something distant and abstract to become part of our day-to-day, of our daily lives: today, we can do everything via the Internet. From taking a medical consultation to buying appliances, clothes, and even opening a bank account. All through the computer or a mobile device. But just as electronic commerce has grown, so have the threats to company cybersecurity.
Yes, Internet businesses are not exempt from attacks and threats that seek to violate the security of their data and systems. It would be very serious if, for example, an online store is robbed of its customers' bank details. Or that a furniture store, customers' addresses were stolen.
What is cybersecurity?
“The Internet enables businesses of all sizes and from any location to reach new and larger markets and provides opportunities to work more efficiently through the use of IT tools. Whether a company is thinking of adopting cloud computing or simply using email and maintaining a website, cybersecurity must be part of the plan", emphasized the US Federal Communications Commission on its website.
And they added: “The theft of digital information has become the most reported fraud, surpassing physical theft. All companies that use the Internet are responsible for creating a culture of security that enhances business and consumer confidence.”
When we talk about cybersecurity, we refer to those measures that companies take to protect their computers, servers, electronic systems and data from cyber threats, attacks and viruses.
According to Kaspersky, this cybersecurity covers the protection of the network, applications, information, operational security.
“Global cyber threats continue to develop at a rapid pace, with an increasing number of data breaches each year. In a report by RiskBased Security, it was revealed that an alarming 7.9 billion records have been exposed by data breaches in the first nine months of 2019 alone. This figure is more than double (112%) the number of records exposed in the same period during 2018”, they explained in a report published on their website.
How cyber attacks put your company at risk
Cyber attacks can affect all kinds of companies, both small, medium and large. But small businesses are often the hardest hit: According to a Business News Daily report, at least 61% of data breaches directly affect small businesses.
“There are countless types of attacks, but distributed denial of service (DDoS) and man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks are among the most common,” they explained, noting that “strong passwords, up-to-date antivirus software, and implementation of best practices” are just a couple of measures that companies must take within their cyber security system.
How do cybersecurity measures protect your business?
You will be able to predict and prevent threats
It is better to prevent threats than to solve the havoc caused by cyber attacks. Working under a culture of prevention is ideal. “Predicting information security threats facilitates rapid prevention to protect networks and sensitive data. Through cybersecurity services, small business owners can access competent experts with experience in quickly identifying and neutralizing threats. Furthermore, reliable cybersecurity services help companies identify and classify sensitive data that requires further protection,” they emphasized in an article published by Cover Wallet.
Increase employee productivity
If your company's work team has to constantly deal with cyber attacks, viruses and any kind of threat, they will divert attention from what really matters: work. By having an effective security system, employees will feel confident to do their jobs without interruptions.
“Malware-infested computers can be a nuisance due to constant crashes, preventing employees from working to their full potential (…) Through cybersecurity services such as managed threat detection and prevention, Startups can identify and remove harmful programs to ensure employees access optimized resources for increased productivity", also pointed out.
Scalability
We know that in your company you can have a team dedicated to cybersecurity, but keep in mind that if you hire a provider to take care of the security of your systems, they will always have much more experience, personnel and equipment to deal with any threat. Additionally, these outsourced teams will be 100% focused on monitoring your systems, something your local team may not be able to do due to lack of time.
Measures to protect your company
Antivirus
It is software that protects your systems from computer viruses. It detects and eliminates them.
Firewall
"A firewall is a network security device that monitors network traffic - incoming and outgoing - and decides whether to allow or block specific traffic based on a defined set of security rules," Cisco defined on its website.
DATA BACKUP
It is always necessary to have all data and information backed up on hard drives and similar devices so that it can be recovered in the event of any leak or loss.
Encryption software
“Cybersecurity encryption is the conversion of data from a readable format to an encrypted format. Encrypted data can only be read or processed after decryption,” Kaspersky explained.
And they added: “Encryption is the main basis of data security. It is the simplest and most important way to ensure that information in a computer system cannot be stolen or read by someone who wants to use it for malicious purposes.”
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