The cyber world today demands that every organization step up its game in securing its network assets and data transmission. This is because cyber-attacks operated years back have changed a lot and have uncovered several loopholes in the security tools many businesses relied on, including Virtual Private Networks.
An estimated 148% increase in ransomware attacks in the wake of the pandemic is a wake-up call to the new dimension and sophistication level of cyberattacks. Figures like this are quite alarming and could expose the high level of financial, operational, and reputational risks many businesses could face if a hacker hits them.
While it might be hard to build a 100% secure wall against all forms of cyberattacks, business owners can take many decisive approaches to mitigate risks and enhance the company’s overall cybersecurity posture. It is crucial to employ proactive steps before a security situation occurs.
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Why is Cyber Security Important in the Business World?
Data is a top consideration for every forward-thinking company. And providing adequate security to an organization’s data is one of the most important measures to put in place. But unfortunately, as business owners continue to move their operations and digitize them by leveraging the internet, hackers are busy ramping up their activity and looking for better ways to exploit vulnerabilities in a company’s infrastructure.
If you own a business, some of the likely attacks you’ll experience include;
- Phishing attacks: These forms of scams are some of the most common, and they are methods used by hackers to steal sensitive information from employees and unsuspecting network users, usually by fronting a legitimate disposition via emails.
- Malware attacks: Malware means malicious software. It can be directed to an individual in the form of a juicy opportunity on the Internet but to take a specific harmful action attached by the hacker once the software has been downloaded to your device. The actions that could be taken include spamming you with ads, gaining access to sensitive information on your device, spying on your activity online, etc.
- Ransomware attacks: This is also a form of malware attack. It involves the attacker encrypting sensitive consumer or enterprise data on the system to slow down business activities and force the organization to pay a ransom before releasing the decryption key.
- Malicious insiders: Malicious insiders take advantage of access to company data to commit a criminal act.
If any attack on your network is successful, you can hardly determine the level of damage it can cause to your company. However, it could result in devastating effects that could grind the company’s activity to a halt, including:
1. Reputational Damage
A successful data breach could signal to your customers that your company isn’t fit to handle their data and businesses. This can lead to severe brand damage and erode consumer confidence and trust. And even if you’ll have to regain it, it would require a lot of work and heavy financial demand.
2. Operational Wreck
A ransomware attack is usually carried out to siphon huge funds from a company, an act that could leave the company struggling to survive. However, it could also affect the performance of workers, especially when the company doesn’t have a backup plan to fall on.
3. Financial Wreck
Aside from companies losing huge amounts to restore operations in the case of a ransomware attack, sensitive information such as credit card details could also be lost, which the hackers could take advantage of to steal funds from customers and active players in the company. And even when a company can surmount the challenge, they might still be left with investing massively to repair damaged customer relationships.
Following cyber security, the checklist helps a company implement processes to fix fundamental security measures in a company structure. It would help you to pinpoint and document a set of cybersecurity procedures, policies, and standards that will uphold the security of your businesses.
The 4 Business Cybersecurity Checklist Items for 2022
In considering a business cybersecurity checklist, you want to weigh your options between vying for a cloud-delivery and traditional approach or ZTNA vs. VPN.
Zero Trust and VPN have played leading roles in securing network data. However, Zero Trust has proven to be much more efficient in many ways.
Regarding security strategy, Zero Trust ensures to secure all access points. It employs initial authorization and authentication processes for every user and implements repeated authorization processes while a user is carrying out a given task. So, a user has no direct access to all network resources at a time and is only provided the help they need per time.
However, this is not the case with VPNs. VPN users are given unrestricted access to resources once they have access to the network.
These Four Cybersecurity Checklist Items Should be Considered
1. Implement a Zero Trust Security Strategy
The Zero Trust security tightens security endpoints by taking away inherent trust in a device or user. The name implies “never trust, always verify.” It deploys two-way authentication, also known as mutual authentication, to verify authorized access from devices. It does this by harnessing the user’s password and username or public certificates. It can also examine traffic flow by utilizing a remote monitoring protocol.
2. Use an Encrypted Messaging or Email Server
Your employees will have to deal with a lot of emails from time to time which can put their work at risk if a phishing attack happens. Deploying an encrypted email service and passwords will reduce the possibility of a successful attack.
3. Training Your Employees On Cybersecurity
When your employees are trained and equipped to handle attacks such as phishing and ransomware, they’ll be able to defend the company and stiffen the possibility of a successful attack on your business.
4. Data Backup
Even when you think you have all the security measures in place, stillplan to back up sensitive data in your company. The most solidified security systems could still be penetrated by consistent and increasingly sophisticated attacks. Hence, it is safe to have things to fall back on in the most unexpected moment. Among other benefits, it would avoid grind business activities to a halt in your company.
