Keys To Maintaining Strong Business Continuity

Preventing and interrupting cyberattacks should be a primary concern of IT security today. Hackers are only getting better at their craft— even as the most sophisticated security outpaces them. At some point, even the best security solutions today may become vulnerable in the future. Here is a deeper look at the state of cybercrime and ways to protect yourself against attacks so that you can maintain business continuity:

Why Businesses Must Be Alert

According to the 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report issued by Verizon Enterprise, there were over 64,000 breaches that year, in which about 8,000 affected businesses. Some of the worst-hit industries were entertainment, finance, and information. Most of these attacks had external origins, although a small percentage came from within the organization. Some of the types of attacks that increased from the previous year were hacking that led to stolen credit card information, malware and phishing.

Just because most businesses did not report an attack does not diminish the fact that all businesses are vulnerable and must ramp up security. Many organizations do not like to disclose attacks for fear it will damage their reputation. Another reason to be concerned is that just because an attack isn’t detected does not necessarily confirm a safe environment for your network.

These days, malware and ransomware attackers often take their time planning a long-term strategy. They may infiltrate your system just to collect data before executing a strategy for stealing information or damaging your network. In recent years hackers have successfully penetrated government agencies, prestigious universities, and even big name tech leaders.

Proactive Measures for Defending Your Network

Your IT security team needs to regularly monitor your network. They can use automation software to detect cyber criminals before damage is done. The best protection involves several layers of security including encryption, 24/7 monitoring, and software that detects unwanted visitors on your network who lack permission. Your IT team should be aware of additional countermeasures for maximum security.

One of the most important measures you can take as a business manager is to routinely as your IT personnel questions about cybercrime. This type of dialogue will show them it’s a top concern and that you expect it to be part of their regular activity. You should also hold a staff meeting to let employees increase awareness about cybercrime so that they are careful about what they download and what they click.

Be aware of how cyber criminals operate and share this knowledge with your staff. Understand that cyber criminals often use a two-step approach to attacks. First, they compromise user credential, usually by spoofing trusted entities. Then they install an exploitation kit somewhere within a computer system.

Practical Steps to Ensure Security

Set strict network access policies
Document all devices with access permission
Use multi-factor authentication
Segment applications from the enterprise network
Apply a defensive application perimeter
Allow each application to have a dedicated virtual network
Use encrypted connections to hide internal traffic
Monitor enterprise and virtual application networks

Conclusion

The key to utilizing the most effective IT security is to not rely on just one application. You will need multiple layers of security to protect your network against cyber criminals. To learn more about the latest security technology, contact us at Idealstor today.