Avoiding the risk of a security breach is all the more possible when business professionals and employees understand cyber security as a service and know which available options stand to best satisfy security needs.
Unless your occupation lies in the IT or security department of your business, you may be relatively unfamiliar with cybersecurity and how it applies to your company’s data protection. When asking, “what is cybersecurity,” it’s good to note that there are several facets to the answer. To develop a broad understanding of cybersecurity in general, you’ll need to explore cybersecurity as a service, how cybersecurity works, and the various types of cyber security that businesses utilize.
It’s also helpful to understand that cyber security attacks take on many forms, and because of this, it isn’t as easy as simply being cautious when working with sensitive information. Malware attacks, phishing emails, bribery, ransomware, password cracking, and denial-of-service attacks have the same basic goal in mind, but hackers and criminals wear these different masks in order to make tricking their target out of information a lot easier to accomplish.
Because there are so many new angles that malicious individuals try on a regular basis, being aware of cybersecurity capabilities is crucial. It may only take one mistake to expose one’s entire business to an attack that can’t be fully resolved.
Avoiding the risk of a security breach is all the more possible when business professionals and employees understand cyber security as a service and know which available options stand to best satisfy security needs.
Read on to explore security options and how utilizing the expertise of a dedicated cybersecurity service provider can give any company a dependable layer of protection against an incoming attack.
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Function of Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is a scope of practices used to protect networks and systems from digital breaches and attacks. Because these attacks are launched by individuals or groups that intend to change, destroy, or use sensitive information without authorization, it’s imperative that individuals and organizations alike implement effective cybersecurity measures to protect data.
A well-rounded cybersecurity system will consist of several protective measures in place to keep data safe from cyber attacks. For example, the core system functions are typically reinforced with clearly defined protocols and staff training modules that enhance safety measures.
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the NIST cybersecurity framework outline, the key functions of an effective cybersecurity system include:
- Identify: This function serves to identify system risks, assets, data, people involved, and policies. Through identification, risk management strategies and asset management programs can be developed.
- Protect: This function aids in developing protective measures to contain or limit the reach of an attack. Through training programs, data security procedures, and maintenance of protective technology, companies can get ahead of an attack.
- Detect: Detecting an attack immediately is paramount for cybersecurity. As such, this function should work to continuously monitor the system for suspicious activity.
- Respond: The right response is critical in the event of an attack. This function carefully outlines exactly what needs to be done if an alert triggers suggesting an attack.
- Recover: In the event of a security breach, the Recover function will help businesses recover lost data and restore processes that may have become impaired.
These uses of cybersecurity, when integrated into an effective system, can help protect businesses from the devastation that a security breach could have on the future of the company.
It’s easy to assume that due to the importance of adequate cybersecurity measures, companies make data protection a top priority. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Recent statistics show that more than 40% of business executives don’t believe their company’s cybersecurity protocols meet today’s demands. The impact of lackluster security measures could result in cyber criminals gaining access to private data in over 90% of cases.
In addition to these alarming cybersecurity statistics, it’s been reported that businesses in 2021 received a 50% increase in cyber attack attempts for each week of the year.
Cyber attack attempts are unlikely to disappear or even decrease any time soon, so security measures have become essential and the advantages of cyber security are quite clear.
Managed Cybersecurity Services
After learning about the basics of cyber security functions, some business owners and concerned individuals may wonder, “is cyber security hard, and can I set up cyber security measures on my own?”
While there are certain security measures anyone can implement to enhance their data safety, a true cyber security system is far more difficult to set up and maintain. In a world where there are more devices with internet access than human beings, it can be a significant challenge to ensure adequate protection. People with malicious intentions are constantly coming up with new ways to bypass security measures, so for individuals and businesses that have sensitive data, managed cyber security services are the best choice.
An established cybersecurity service provider will have the expertise, technology, and professional skills needed to design, implement, and maintain a cyber security system that meets an individual company’s needs. These providers thrive in their industry due to the knowledge their teams compile and the effective practices they’ve perfected over the years. It’s far better to trust an experienced provider than leaving any element of cybersecurity up to chance.
The need for cybersecurity measures may vary from one client to another, depending on the industry in which the business operates and other factors related to the type of data the company handles.
To meet the needs of numerous client types, a provider’s managed security services scope of work may include the following:
- Designing cost-effective procedures
- Consulting services
- Data security solutions
- IT support
- Security leadership
- Provision of Chief Information Security Officer
- Training modules
- Penetration testing
- Managed network security services
- Monitoring risks and threat levels
- Responding to threats
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What Is Data Security?
Data security is a major component of cybersecurity, and it refers to the process involved in protecting an individual or company’s data. Whether the data is used or exchanged through various applications, transactions, or cloud storage, data security prevents this information from being accessed or altered by unauthorized users.
Data security as a service may include tokenization, updated management practices, encryption, and hashing to keep data secure across all devices, networks, and platforms utilized for company processes.
The components of a data security system can depend somewhat on how a company’s data is stored and exchanged, with additional security measures being necessary for cloud-based businesses. Data security in cloud computing may involve additional user access monitoring, cloud usage policies, and cloud-specific management procedures that an in-person system might not have.
When it comes to data security management, there are three elements to focus on in order to properly protect sensitive information: people, processes, and technology. This means that when data security procedures are created, security professionals consider the industry in which the business operates, the standard processes that take place, employee actions and experience, current technology used, and existing workplace procedures to identify risks and create solutions.
In designing an appropriate plan, examples of data security steps might include backing up data, data erasure, and data masking or encryption. These steps are effective in storing data copies to prevent loss, and making data either unreadable or inaccessible to unauthorized users.
Effective data security protocols serve to prevent an array of data security issues from ever occurring, thus reducing the labor needed to respond to an attack or breach attempt. For example, data security measures could reduce the likelihood of:
- Accidental sharing of information
- Employee theft of data
- Mistakes made due to workplace exhaustion
- Weak password risks
- Ransomware attempts
- Phishing email reception
- Employee access to information above their clearance level
What Is Data Security and Privacy?
Data privacy is an element of data security that governs how a company collects, stores, shares, and disposes of data as it relates to business operations. Privacy practices can apply to any type of data, whether it’s data pertaining to the company or information collected from customers.
Keeping data protected is a must, especially for companies that operate in industries where sensitive information is collected on a regular basis. Financial and medical companies are two industry types that stand to sustain irreparable damage if private customer data was accessed illegally and used by individuals who have no right to it.
Invasions of this sort not only put companies at risk of serious financial losses, but may also bring about legal repercussions for the business, and life-altering interruptions for individuals who had their personal information stolen.
Data privacy, data security, and cybersecurity in general are essential elements of a successful business, as companies who invest in taking precautions against attacks stand to garner protection against losses that a company with lackluster security measures will likely incur at some point.
Exploring your company’s options when it comes to effective cybersecurity is a wise move to ensure the future of the business and the safety of the information in your systems. A cyber attack can be devastating and due to how common these attempts are becoming, an attempt on your company should not be considered in terms of “if” it might happen, but “when” it will happen. Any business runs the risk of having an attempt made on its private data, but a superior security system significantly reduces the likelihood of that attempt achieving any success.